


The Curse of Dragons

by RaiRaiDixy



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Dom/sub, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Impulse Control, Multiple Orgasms, Orgasm Control, Simultaneous Orgasm, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-06-07 16:59:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 103,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6814402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaiRaiDixy/pseuds/RaiRaiDixy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natsu returns in a hooded cloak.<br/>He and Lucy have an unquenchable heat.<br/>Can they become stable enough to ward off death itself?<br/>Can they multitask fighting for their lives, with risking it all in an attempt to defeat The Curse of Dragons? </p><p>Contains serious and repetitive adult content (smut)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR:  
This story takes place after the disbandment of Fairy Tail. Chapter 418 in the Manga, Episode 278.  
The first 'chapter' is a spin on the final episode of 2016. We'll call it a prequel to my actual novel. It sets the groundwork in explaining how as the author I believe Natsu and Lucy see one another. It does have some basic summaries to the actual episode to avoid copyright, and droning on. I hope that you will enjoy my first chapter and the different perspective and development of their personalities.  
All that being said IF you feel like you know the story well, and my spin is not something you enjoy feel free to skip to chapter 1, where I deviate from the story and create a whole new selection of challenges Natsu and Lucy must overcome.  
________________________________________  
** WARNING: In this fiction Lucy has a one paragraph non-cannon previous relationship 

~

 

It had seemed like forever since she had seen him last. He had grown so much. He was taller, stronger, more confident, but deep down he was the same wonderful, playful Natsu. The one that her whole world had revolved around for the last several years. He was her best friend first, her teammate second, her guildmate third, and lastly the man who had given her a chance. Deep down she felt she owed him a debt of gratitude she could never repay, so she regularly tried to suppress the thought and continue as normal.

She stood in the stadium watching a hooded stranger take out all the other contenders with a brilliant fire magic so powerful she only mildly recognized it. She had hoped it was him, but now that they were together again, sharing a meal again, it hit her like a tidal wave. She had missed him; in fact, she had missed him more than she had missed all her other guild mates combined. She thought to herself that it was both odd and wonderful to finally have him back in her life again. That was, assuming he was back in her life to stay for awhile. She had learned when he left last year he came and went when he pleased. He was so one track minded he didn't really realize he had left her behind.

She shoved that tinge of pain back down and focused solely on the joy of having him here with her. Ever second of his return had truly been wonderful. It shined a light into her life that she had been missing so much her heart ached from all of the loneliness.

He was staring at her now, across the table covered in a small mountain of dishes from all the food he and his blue cat had scarfed down. Natsu and Happy had shared a look than both turned their attention back to her. "You're weird Lucy," they said in perfect unison.  
"Huh?" She questioned, being pulled from her daydreams to focus back on her previous teammate and his feline son staring at her.

"I'M NOT WEIRD" She theatrically shouted at them, causing several other patrons to stop what they were doing to stare at the odd sight that had unfolded into the booth where Lucy, Natsu, and Happy sat.

"Whatever you say, Luce," Natsu casually said back at her returning his attention back to his monstrous meal. While Happy simply made a face at her. She giggled a little, happy to slide back into the familiarity that was the entirety of their friendship. The nearby patrons returned to their meals, and the night continued to roll on by.

Happy and Natsu told her all about their year, about how Natsu melted Mount Altana, and how Happy lost his fish in the process. As they shared their stories they finished their meals. Leaving the quiet restaurant and choosing to take a stroll to prolong the enjoyment of each others company. They walked along to a garden and its large statue. It was under the statue in the comfort of its shade, and privacy, that she told him about the disbandment of the Fairy Tail Guild. He took the news rather well, but it still hurt her a little to tell him. Talking about how everyone just fell apart, their lives moved on, it was still bittersweet. It was ok now, she still missed them, but she had adjusted to the loneliness. Now that Natsu was by her side the pain had dulled considerably and she refused to let herself focus on the sadness. She had grown so much, and achieved so many of her dreams this year, all she could do was hope that every one of her previous guild mates had done the same.

They walked in silence through the cool night she quietly lead them to her new home in Crocus. It took them less than half a second to make themselves at home. Instantly scratching and destroying her wonderful home; therefore, putting the security of her damage deposit in jeopardy. She scolded them as usual but forgave them quickly. Then the night drifted by as usual, with stories and board games.

It had gotten late, they had all lain down intent on getting some rest. Lucy was in her bed thinking about her day. Her mind swam with memories of Natsu. She was so relieved he was back. She had missed him. Try as she might she had not been able to stop thinking about him. She never let her mind run down 'that' road. The last time she thought of Natsu as anything other than a teammate he had been utterly clueless, and she ended up feeling insulted. She would never admit it, not even to herself; but she knew deep down she had felt something else. She had felt something other than insulted. She never let herself think about it, never wanted to unwrap that buried emotion to find out what it truly was under the surface. Now, as she lay in the dark of night she wondered to herself if maybe she should. What would happen if it bubbled to the surface? 'NO!' She thought to herself. Practically screaming into her own brain. She slammed the thought back down again, keeping it buried in the bottom of that pit. The pit that held all the other deep emotions she suppressed regularly to get through her day. She grumpily rolled over to her side and sighed out loud in frustration. She knew she needed to sleep. There had been too much to process for just one day. She sighed again on last time, then whispered quietly into the darkness, before letting her spirit travel to a distant realm of dreams.  
Natsu laid on her tiny couch. It only felt fractionally better to lay on then the cold dirt he had been sleeping on for the last several months. He just didn't fit on her stupid dainty couch. His legs were too long and there wasn't enough room for him to roll around. He moved from his side to lay on his back and stare at the ceiling. It was only in the quiet of night that he truly let himself stop running wild and take a break to think.  
He heard her then, the voiced she used ever once-in-a-blue-moon. The voice she knew only he could hear when they were in a large dragon slayer-less group of people, or surrounded by noisy neighbors or a particularly gossipy blue cat. Her voice was soft, but for some reason, it was laced with just a twinge of pain.

"I've missed you." She whispered for only his ears "Next time..." She stopped. He wondered what she was going to say. She sighed heavily again.

"Night." She whispered. This time, so quietly he could tell she was nearly asleep. He laid there, on that tiny couch listening to her breath wash over her. She was sleeping now; he was sure of it. She was breathing softly, and slowly. She moaned lightly into her pillow adjusting it ever so cutely. 

He returned to his thoughts again. Thoughts of his guild; his home, his friends, his team, his partner. He kept questioning to no one in particular if it was really over? If he had stayed would his home still be ok? As more time went by his brain kept berating him. It just would not slow down enough for him to sleep.  
His brain ran in circles with the news of his guild being disbanded. He could tell Lucy was hurt, he was sure this whole thing had made her cry, but for how long? Had she moved on right away? He never wanted for her to be sad or to cry, but he was surprised she didn't seem to care more. He was glad she was able to be so independent. She was always stronger than people realized. However, even with all that, he was confused. The Lucy he thought he had known so well was stronger than that. She fought for what she believed in. She wouldn't just run away, or give up on their Fairy Tail family, would she? He thought she was more than that, and it saddened him to being seeing so little from her. For that matter what about the rest of his guildmates? Had the rest of his guild gotten along so well? Had they thrown in the towel to? Did they all just easily moved on, leaving behind their home, and one another? He was growing frustrated now; Why would they all just give up?! 'That's it' he thought to himself. After a brief word with his blue exceed he decided to get some revenge on the sleeping blonde.

Happy of course never missed a beat. He had the markers all ready to go. Like, ninja, they broke into Lucy's room. They were ready to cover her in markers as payback for choosing to move on. He could never hold a grudge against her, not even if he tried. Perhaps, a little childish prank would help him to feel a whole lot better about her apparent betrayal.

As he stood above her bed deciding exactly what to draw on her face he saw it. Just in the corner of his eye. He turned to look more. Her ENTIRE wall was covered completely! It was the location of any and every member of Fairy Tail, or close to it. It had their most recent sightings and updated notes. He stopped for a moment in awe of the naked girl laying just inches away from him; 'She didn't just move on' the thought hitting him like a hammer. 'No way would the Lucy he knew just walk away from their family'. He understood then, staring down at her. He was yet again completely in awe of her. She was still the Lucy he had missed for the last year. The Lucy he thought about during the silence of night while he attempted to sleep. The girl he had had to leave to keep her safe. She was lonely and struggling, but she held onto hope.  
'I CAN'T let her keep feeling like this!' he thought to himself. A wave of determination washed over him. 'I'm going to fix Fairy Tail; fix our family' he decided. He wasn't going to let Lucy stay here either. He would make sure she stayed happy from now on. Even if he couldn't remain by her side, he would make sure she had a family. There was just one thing he had to do first, and dammit it was going to be fun!

"Come on Happy" he whispered so as to not startle his best friend. "I've got a plan."  
_____________________________________________________________

The following morning Lucy woke to soldiers practically knocking down her door. What was going on? What happened to the peaceful sleep and calming morning she was just starting to appreciate? Before she knew what was happening Natsu had her in his arms. He was jumping through a freaking WINDOW! Once again his strength and speed caught her completely off guard. This meant, that although he impressed her, she was left struggling to escape the bridal style grasp he had hoisted her into so that she could join them in running to Mavis only knew where.  
As they ran through the streets she was forced to question him. There was no way anyone, not even Natsu could think Fairy Tail was getting back together. It was an utterly hopeless case! They had no means of reaching everyone, hell they didn't even know if anyone wanted to come back. She, along with everyone else was forced to move forward. Even though she was pretending to not be completely crushed by the loss of their guild, it didn't mean that anyone else felt the same way. She knew from her research that this year had allowed each member to grow in new ways. Ways they might not ever want to turn from to rejoin the guild of their youth.  
Not for this first time in her still early morning Natsu surprised her. He seemed to have read her mind, and understand her doubts. He knew that deep down she had held out hope, and used that to knowledge to his advantage.

"YOU believe it can be done, so we'll get everyone back together and reform our guild. Come on." He ordered her while dragging her along by the wrist. 

Tears of joy started to roll down her face. She was too happy for words. Was there really still hope? Natsu had never let her down before. If he said the guild would reform it had to be true; didn't it? Even if it wasn't entirely true, it was the sliver of hope she had been holding out for; The life line she screamed for while struggling against the oncoming tide. Natsu was giving her an irreplaceable gift; He was giving her a reason to keep fighting.

They raced through the streets. Natsu taking her wherever his plan lead, and Lucy following blindly behind him for the second time in her life. They made it out of Crocus and onto a well-traveled gravel road. Lucy couldn't help but get lost in her own thoughts. Thinking of the first time he had saved her from a swarm of soldiers.

*FLASHBACK*

Their eyes had just met. Lucy was standing in a swarm of crowded women. Captive to her heart; or more accurately the illegal love charm cast over the entire crowd of fangirls. Suddenly Natsu met her eyes, and the charm was broken. As thanks, she took him and his strange talking, blue cat out for a good meal. The aforementioned meal cost her nearly ever last penny she had!  
Later in the day that same guy with the record-breaking appetite had helped in her escape; as well as the defeat of the con artist who had placed her under the charm spell in the first place. Fatefully, while defeating the villain Aquarius took out half a fleet of ships. It took no time at all for the army to start chasing them down. He had grabbed her hand a promised to take her to Fairy Tail. That was in truth where their story has begun.  
*END FLASHBACK*  
She had unquestioningly believed him then. Just as she was believing in him now. She would follow him once more to their home, their family, their guild.


	2. Chapter 2

Natsu and Lucy had spent the evening sleeping under the stars. They had eaten roasted fish and enjoyed the sounds of the trickling brook nearby. When the sky swallowed them up, much like a blanket can swallow an infant they started to drift into a calming sleep. Natsu consuming the nearly all of their campfire as a late night snack. When Lucy awoke in the silence of early morning she felt a sense of renewed energy and determination.  
Lucy took a brisk walk out into the forest. After completing some necessities of the morning routine she called forth Sagittarius to help her find some breakfast. Although Natsu and Happy were excellent at catching fish, the fish menu got boring rather quickly. Natsu was a wonderful hunter. His dragon senses made it easy for him to catch dinner, however, he was still sleeping silently beside his cat. Every once and awhile Lucy liked to surprise them with a fresh breakfast from the forest. It helped to refresh the menu, but more importantly, it allowed Lucy to pull her weight. She hated the idea of Natsu always having to provide for her. Even if he had pulled her out of a window so she didn't have time to pack.  
Stealthily she and Sagittarius tread through the forest, focusing on keeping their steps light. Sagittarius had taught her both how to track, and how to walk quietly through the shrubbery even when there was no path to follow. Ever hunter knew that the snap of just one twig was more than enough to send your lunch running in the opposite direction. Today they were hunting grouse. A small quail-like bird that was nearly impossible to see from less than a few feet away. It blended into the greenery of the forest floor, but would startle and fly away quicker than a puff of smoke. One main advantage of hunting the small animal was that it was dumber than a post. As long as you were quite you could easily get within a few feet of it and get a clear easy shoot. Lucy and Sagittarius were approaching a group of 6 grouse, all huddled under a molding log. A good hunter would be able to loose their first arrow, killing the farthest away grouse and startling the others, then draw another arrow and shoot the closest grouse mid-air after the entire group flew through the air to their escape. Natsu was an excellent hunter, he could probably get 3 of them before they flew out of range. However, Sagittarius was the best shoot she had ever know. He drew his bow, holding 6 arrows at once. When he released his draw the arrows flew through the air, cleanly killing all 6 grouse at once. Not one bird so much as raised its head in acknowledgment of the oncoming strike.  
They high-fived and hugged their sweet victory over the small foul.  
"You did beautifully Sagittarius" Lucy congratulated him. He cordially expressed his happiness with their hunt and returned back to the spirit world. Lucy then called forth Virgo to help her search for berries, nuts and herbs while they made their way quickly back to camp. By the time they had returned to camp they had managed to find walnuts, gooseberries, and raspberries. As well as some green herbs that smelled like ones Mira always use. Virgo insisted they were safe to eat, and would taste good on the clutch of birds she now held. As Lucy started a new fire Virgo happily began cleaning the birds. Once the fire was roaring and the birds were on a spit above it Lucy began to chop up the herbs. One of them must have been in the onion family as her eyes watered ever so slightly.  
Natsu instantly jumped out of his bed and ran to Lucy. He looked her up and down, realizing that she wasn't actually crying, but that the onions were upsetting her eyes. He snatched away the knife from her and began cutting the onions just as she had.  
Lucy suspiciously moved backed to the grouse. She was confused by his actions. Why did he suddenly wake up from his slumber, and why was he helping cook? He had never helped prepare a meal other than fish before. She walked to the fire and pulled the grouse off of the spit, and sprinkled them with the herbs and onion like green bits that Natsu had completed chopping perfectly. She prepared a plate for herself, Natsu, and Happy. Each plate held walnuts, berries, and a dainty bird. Natsu's plate held triple the amount of the others. She was fairly certain that the collection of food and the roaring fire would be enough to fill him for the morning.  
Natsu roused Happy, and they sat around the fire to enjoy their meals. Virgo was casually sitting nearby happy to have the opportunity to catch up with her old friend. Natsu told her an interesting story while scarfing down his meal, and sucking down some flames. As they all finished their meals (except Virgo who preferred her food in the spirit world) they started to pack up their supplies. Sending their supplies back home with Virgo to the spirit world.  
Once they were done breaking camp Natsu finished off the last of the fire. The walked through a small patch of forest and returned to the well-traveled road. The were heading straight for Lamia Scale to pick up the first person on their list. Hoping to add several more names to the list of returning guild mates along the road to Magnolia.  
________________________________________  
Natsu had a gigantic grin on his face. He loved the days when Lucy would make him breakfast. She was a fantastic cook. And with the help of Virgo they always had a unique meal that was so mouth-wateringly good it made him wonder if she was secretly sending Virgo to the spirit world to cook it for her.  
Not that he would mind, to him it didn't matter where good food came from as long as he got to eat it. It always made him happy when she cooked for him. He knew it was his job as the leader of the team to provide his team with food. He usually went with fish. Happy would always love it, and there was always enough for everyone. Unlike with hunting where sometimes you just couldn't find anything. Or every once in awhile where he would get frustrated and roar to no one in particular and send their meal running. That being said there was some fun in the chase, and his dragon senses gave him a distinct advantage in the hunt. He only really went on a hunt when Lucy would ask him. It made an urge to provide for her, and his team bubble up. He would stay in the woods all night if he had too, but no way was he returning to them without something meaty to eat.  
He knew hunting could be a challenge. Especially if as a dragon slayer he often found it difficult. So he always admired Lucy when she brought them a meal. She would put real effort into it, not just get meat, but spices and other things to snack on. She always seemed to know what was good to eat, and what vegetation to stay away from. Never once making anyone hallucinate from her cooking of mushrooms, and herbs. After the meal was caught she would usually build her own fire to cook it on. He had no idea how she did it, but she always managed to flavor the fire itself. Giving it a sweetness like candy, that only he could appreciate. It always felt like a special gift she made just for him.  
He had pondered once if he should thank her for it, but they didn't seem to have the type of friendship where they stopped to thank one another for their kindness. They simply enjoyed it and moved on. Like how she enjoyed him always keeping the tiniest hint of fire going into the night to keep her warm.  
They continued to walk along the road to Lamia Scale. As usual, his mind wondered to more thoughts of Lucy. He was still so confused on that subject. It had been the last Grand Magic Game where the truth had hit him, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He knew how he felt about her, and he had a hint of an idea that she might care for him as more than a friend; however, none of that mattered. It simply wasn't enough to "appease the fates".  
Igneel had told him years ago about the 'The Curse of the Dragon'. It was a long and complicated memory that always caused him to feel nearly uncontrollable anger. It was a fate so much stronger than his own desires that he had no choice but to shut it down and force himself to move on with his life much like a chaste monk would. At least suppressing emotions were something both he and Lucy were very good at. Together they were fast approaching Lamia Scale, and Natsu was really looking for a fight now. Since his victory at the Grand Magic Games, he hadn't used his magic for anything other than the equivalent of lighting a match. He needed to warm up a bit and blow off some of this anger, among other complicated emotions.  
________________________________________  
When they eventually reached Lamia Scale it was just in time to catch the Thanksgiving Festival. Natsu and Lucy got to see several performances, the finally one being from their very own Wendy Marvel and her 'Sky Sister'. Once her performance was done, they went to the backstage to greet her, and hopefully, convince her to join them on their journey home. It took both Natsu and Lucy by surprise when their little Wendy turned them down. Natsu could instantly read the sadness and doubt on Lucy's face. Although they both respected her decision, it saddened them greatly. Wendy wasn't just a member of their guild, she was a part of their team. She helped make them strong and gave them hope. She inspired them to do better than their best because they wanted to set a strong example for the young mage.  
They eventually left Wendy with her guild. It was getting late and they wanted to get some rest at Viper Inn. Both of them feeling saddened and a little defeated. Did all the other members of Fairy Tail feel this way? Would they all choose to stay in the paths their new lives had taken them? Or would they be willing to leave it all behind to reunite the family that was once so close? So many questions of doubt swam through their minds.  
Lucy thought mostly on what her life would be like without the little sky maiden. Those thoughts made her sad enough to start crying, but she fought them back. Choosing instead to lay on top of her bed staring at the ceiling.  
Natsu on the other was thinking mostly about how badly he wished he had challenged one of the members on Lamia Scale to a fight. He had been feeling wound up all day. His blood was pumping with pent up anxiety, and testosterone. He knew that if he fell asleep feeling like this there was no way he would wake up without a certain tenting in his pants. He thought hard about how to fit in a bit of physical exercise before the night. He liked push-ups, but Lucy always got annoyed at him when he and happy did hours of working out while she tried to sleep.  
He knew if he touched Lucy as she was; laying in her mini skirt on top of her bed, that his mind would wander even future down that forbidden path. So he decided the best course of action was to tickle her mercilessly with Happy's tail. It was safer than touching her soft skins with his rough, well-worn hands. However, it had the added benefit of seeing Lucy squirm just a little, and if he was lucky a full-blown pillow fight would break out. Not that he ever fantasized about a pillow-wielding Lucy... Ok MAYBE he was torturing himself ever so slightly, but it had been an entire year since he had seen her last, and there were certain things he just couldn't deny himself much longer. A tickle fight being probably the most innocent idea on a very long list of things he would like to do with her about right now.  
After just a few seconds of the delight of seeing Lucy bounce in all the right places on top of her bed Natsu and Happy were laying face down on the floor. Each of them nursing a rock solid goose egg from the beating Lucy had just dished out. Neither Happy or Natsu had seen it coming. Now Lucy towered over them accusing them of being perverts while tugging down her mini skirt. She was right, but what she had not realized was that by ending the pillow fight so soon Natsu had no choices left but to go looking for a fight. He had to burn off this energy or the chances of him maintaining self-control were close to none. He decided it was about time he went to kidnap the sky maiden and squash anyone who got in his way.  
________________________________________  
Natsu left their room at the little inn. He headed straight for Lamia Scale with Lucy chasing after him. He was a man on a mission. He was either going to get his teammate back or find a fight in the process. Just as they reached Lamia Scale a monster burst out of it, destroying a major part of the guild hall in the process. 'YES,' Natsu thought to himself. It was clear a battle was about to go down, and there was no way he wasn't going to be in the middle of it. After the monster was dealt with the group of Mages realized that it wasn't just one monster. It was an entire ARMY of them. The guild itself had little hope of survival without their beloved Jura. So they readily accepted the help of the Fairy Tail mages. Just as Natsu was about to start attacking Cheilia and Wendy rocketed off into the battlefield. Cheilia stealing his exceed, and taking Happy into battle without him!  
Natsu chased after the thief. No way was he letting Cheilia steal his son! He bulldozed past all those in his way on the path to Happy. It didn't matter to him if there was a small army of monsters, he need the exercise and he wanted his exceed back right now!  
All of Lamia Scale and Lucy stood by watching Natsu clear a path through the monsters. There were no words to describe the amount his magical power had grown. He was so much stronger than before. Lucy clearly drew a line of similarity to the strength she knew Laxus has possessed since he had matured, to the dragon slayer running in front of her. Had all of his training caused him to hit another level of strength? Was he the equivalent of an S class now, or possibly even higher?  
There was no way she was going to let him show her up again. He wasn't the only one who had spent the last year training. She too had grown in strength. In fact, she had discovered a whole new ability. It was with this strength that she called forth Loke her lion spirit. She instantly used her new magic to turn into her Leo form, and prepared for the oncoming battle. With her fighting stance strong she prepared to face down the closest charging monster. Lucy wielded Loke's Regulus Impact into her, Lucy Kick. The kick hit home taking down the charging monster in the process.  
As Lucy fought alongside Lamia Scale Natsu did what he does best. He destroyed not only the leader of the oncoming army but over half the army itself. All the while Lucy and Lamia Scale defended the city from the oncoming attack and defeated the remainder of the army.  
Natsu finally feeling like his blood had cooled from a roaring boil to a gentle simmer relaxed. He had happy back and had gotten the fight he had been craving. It seemed like tonight he would indeed be able to sleep. He met back up with Lucy and Lamia scale. With the defeat of their leader the monsters had retreated. Although he had not used up nearly any of his magic power he felt relaxed. He was sure the adrenaline that had just been pumping through his blood had a lot to do with it. Lamia Scale thanked him for all his help, and he grabbed Lucy by the wrist and began tugging her along.  
________________________________________  
"whhhaa?" She questioned as she was tugged from the throng of people celebrating their nearly instant victory.  
"Come on," He told her as he continued to lead the way back to Viper Inn.  
"What? Why? Where?" She questioned. Were there more enemies to fight that he could sense and no one else could? Were she and Natsu going to chase them down? If so where was that chase going to be taking them now? He pulled her away so suddenly her brain didn't have time to process what was going on.  
"It's time for bed now" He muttered just loudly enough for Lucy and Happy to pick up.  
Happy of course didn't have any more questions. Lucy, on the other hand, was very confused. They were just in a battle. Was a spell cast over him that made him tired suddenly? Had he used so much of his magical power that he needed to sleep right then and there? Sure Lucy had wished she had gotten a full night sleep, but she was still humming with the excitement of the fight. Whenever she took her Leo form she usually took hours to come back down from the energy high. His light magic was nothing if not energetic.  
They neared their Inn and Lucy began questioning Natsu to make sure he was all right. She asked if he was feeling alright, or if there had been any unusually magic. He insisted he was fine, but just wanted to return to his bed for the night. Saying something about wanting to sleep before his mind began to wander again.  
Once they had reached their room Lucy decided the best course of action was a steaming hot bubble bath to help slow her mind and body down enough to get a good night sleep. Happy gratefully curled up on a nearby chair and was asleep before you could count to ten. A talent that seemed to be shared by all felines.  
Natsu went straight for his bed, hoping the sound of running water would lull him to sleep. He tossed a pillow over his head and focused on the sounds being made in the bathroom. He could hear the water begin to fall from the shower splashing lightly against naked skin. He could hear the sounds of gentle splashing against the walls of the tub. The sounds growing deeper as the water level began to rise. He could hear her twist and stretch, allowing the water to smooth any aches in her muscles. It made him wonder if ever he offered would she let him rub her back to take away her pains.  
The water began to slow from a constant stream to a gentle trickle, eventually being shut off completely. Still he listened to the mesmerizing sounds. The light sighs of happiness as comfort was achieved. The gently splashing from soft movements like the wiggling of toes. He heard her breathing slow down to the point where she was nearly asleep. From the sounds of it, she was in that stage where you're so lost in a daydream you don't even know yourself if you are awake of asleep. He tried to imagine what she was thinking about. Was she thinking about her spirits, or perhaps her teammates? Was she day dreaming of what the future might hold after their guild was put back together?  
He realized then that he had been listening for far too long, he should have been asleep at least half an hour ago. Lucy had always insisted on her privacy when having a bath, but he had never known why. Sure it made sense to not allow men in the room. But this was the first time he could recall her every -knowingly- choosing to take a bath with people so nearby. Maybe her barriers were starting to break down and she was starting to trust him even more. Or perhaps she was so wound up from the fight that it was simply a matter of necessity. She had been in there for over an hour now, and guessing by the increase in her heartbeat she was having a hell of a time trying to calm herself back down.  
________________________________________  
Lucy had been in her bath for well over and hour. She had been close to being relaxed a few times now. Ever time she would start feeling calm her mind would race back to thoughts of Natsu. He had changed so much and it baffled her. His jaw line was more masculine now, and even his maturity seemed to have grown. Not only did her help her make breakfast this morning but he had done so quietly without a second thought as if it was an everyday occurrence. As she thought about him, one of the feelings she regularly suppressed would bubble up. She would force it down and try again to relax.  
Sadly, with all of the Leo Magic rushing threw her it never seemed to work. Just as she would feel relaxed she would again start daydreaming about him. She caught herself thinking of his strong arms, his protective behavior towards others. All of the changes she had seen in him as he grew alongside her.  
He was still Natsu in ever way that mattered, but he was growing into a Natsu that was even more than that. He had a certain development that she couldn't quite place. This development made him different somehow. In a way other than strength and maturity. Her thoughts again returned to all the changes she had seen, trying to pinpoint the one that she couldn't seem to put her finger on. She tried to create a list of all the new things she had seen in him these last two days. He was; more helpful, more considerate, he was stronger, his biceps were bigger, his abs were even more pronounced, his jaw line was stronger, he was… he was... it evaded her again.  
Hopelessly she resigned to washing her hair. She slowly opened her eyes looking around for her shampoo. As she looked at the other end of the tub towards her feet she was forced to take in the sight of her entire body. She lay with her head tilted to one side, with her thighs pressing into one another sweetly, and her hands softly caressing her own breast. She quickly jerked forward, making herself sit up in the tub. 'What the hell was that?' She thought to herself. Why on earth was she touching herself so intimately? She wasn't reading an inappropriate novel as she often did to lessen the burden of loneliness. Hell, she wasn't even thinking about anyone special... just plain old Natsu. 'Holy Mavis! It was Natsu! That's what was so different. The feeling she couldn't pinpoint. She was ATTRACTED to NATSU!' The thought slammed into her, and she had no idea how to react.  
She quickly jumped out of the bath, hair washing be damned. There was no way she was going to stay in there and keep thinking about that. She rushed to dry off and put on her silky top and shorts. After a record-setting clothing change, she leaped out of the bathroom. Fully prepared to spend the rest of the evening alone in her bed attempting to sleep.  
As she walked toward her bed Natsu stiffly sat up on his own. He looked at her, and as they exchanged a look both of their cheeks reddened. She quickly looked away and dived into her bed. Covering ever inch of herself with blankets and pillows as a barrier from the scary would. The world on the other side of that blanket wasn't one she was ready to face just yet. That world was a one where she was attracted to her best friend. She wasn't too keen on being in that world right now. She snuggled up closely with her pillow and fell asleep; thankful that the energy from her Leo form had finally worn off. She was clearly hiding from the real world all around her but was happy to do so.  
________________________________________  
Even after the small fight earlier that day Natsu was still wide awake. He was tired when they got back to their room. But something about listening to the water fall off of her skin had kept him awake. He refused to admit it, but the more he thought about it the more he thought Igneel was right. Igneel had told him about how Dragons picked a partner, and about 'The Curse of the Dragon', and although he wasn't ready for it to be happening to him, he could tell it was.  
The signs were all there, they had been since the last Grand Magic Games. With the time travel and the seven years lost on Tenrou Island Natsu was well over 400 years old. However, he had only experienced his 18th birthday last month. He felt like he was far too young to be facing all of this. From what he knew of dragons they didn't reach this part of their life cycle until they hit full maturity. He thought that would be in his mid-twenties much like it had been with Laxus.  
Laxus had always had a clear advantage over Natsu and the other dragon slayers because of his older age. A fact Natsu would never admit to. However, since that last day of the grand magic games that advantage was lessening every day. As far as Natsu was concerned it was the only advantage of this whole conundrum. Now that he was thinking on it, and based off the way he felt around Lucy more and more there was a chance he was actually surpassing Laxus now.  
There he was again, forced to think about the beauty resting across the room. His pants felt tight, and he felt completely out of control. He could feel the fates pulling the strings around him, and leaving him helpless to fight off their control. He refused to just throw in the towel and give into the curse. Although the chance of eternal happiness was a tempting one to many a dragon, it wasn't worth risking lives over. There was simply too much at stake here, and he refused to even consider it. He continued to lay in his bed and forced himself to refocus on sleep. Perhaps a daydream of when he was little would pull him out his mind and into the realm of sleep. A dream where he could play again by his father's side, and learn the ways of a dragon


	3. Chapter 3

They awoke to the sudden banging upon their door. Wendy and Carla had arrived and unlike the two mages who had clearly overslept, they sounded cheery and pleasant. The knocking at the front door halted while Wendy and her feline friend patiently waited for the door to be answered. Natsu quickly made a mad dash for the bathroom before Lucy even had a chance to open her eyes. 

“Natsu I have to pee…” Lucy whined at him. She was always slightly whiney and very groggy when she woke up. Once she had a chance to take in the sun and perform a feline like stretch her attitude would shift to the brilliant and sunny Lucy every member of fairy tail loved. 

“I'll be right out.” He assured her, in a slightly shaken voice. His breath was heavy and his masculine morning problem was blatantly obvious. He was forced to focus once again on thoughts of their guild master swimming naked in the guilds pool so that he might relieve some of the pressure on his pajamas enough to be comfortable around Happy, Lucy, Wendy, and Carla. This certainly wasn’t the type of problem that should be happening around his guild mates, especially with Happy, Carla, and Wendy being so young. He was sure if Carla knew he would get a serious scolding from her, filled with accusations against his charter. 

He knew it was not entirely his fault. His dream was filled with inappropriate thoughts and images of Lucy. He dreamt of her basking in the light of a shallow pond, surrounded by nothing but rocks and trees. She had smiled when she noticed his presence. She stood, completely skyclad, made the way Mavis had intended her to be. She beckoned him forward to a deep and passionate kiss. His fingers had originally been tangled in her hair, tugged his closer to his mouth. Without prompting those same fingers trailed down the side of her neck and along her spine. Just as they rested on the narrow of her back she leaned forward. As she whispered into his ears the dream vanished from his reaches and he awoke to the present morning. The words she had whispered to him still ringing in his ear, daring him to have hope that she might be the one to break the curse placed upon his soul. 

This dream was far more vivid than the ones he usually had. Although he had dreamt of her often while he was on the road training he hadn’t seen her look so tempting ever before. He has never seen her bare herself for his pleasure. Although the dream itself remained innocent of any indecent behavior it was the most attracted to her he had ever been. Never before had she treated him so warmly, like a lover she was already familiar with. When he had dreamt of her before she was always distant and uninterested in him. She would flaunt the glory of her sexuality in tantalizing outfits and provocative dances. Just as he would build up the nerve to approach her as more than her teammate she became cold and rejected his attempts to pursue her. Those dreams had become haunting. They taunted him with a life he would never have, and an impending death he knew was slowly growing near. Usually, when he dreamt of her he would force himself awake as soon as he was able. Sometimes he would manage to savor the lingering effects of her body swaying to some distant music, but this dream was so sweet and vivid he hadn’t realized he was asleep. When he heard the knock on the door, and the scent of Wendy coming from across the room he had no choice but to hide in here for decency sake. The reality of morning had been a brutal one. The hope his dream had given him caused his body to ache with both desire and a hint of pain. As the clock moved forward the constant need to suppress his desires grew. He wondered if he would, in fact, have time to repair Fairy Tail before he had to leave it forever. 

With that depressing thought, his desire was squelched and his clothing became comfortable once more. Although the voice of the women in his dreams still rang in his ears he knew he must press forward. The sooner he could rebuild Fairy Tail for her the sooner his legacy would be complete. The safer she would be without him. As he took a step closer to the bathrooms exit her voice whispered words out of his dreams one final time, so distant it was barely even recognizable; ‘I could love you forever, if only you let me.’

His took another deep breath in and listened for just another second. Lucy spoke in her casual voice. She knew the small dragon slayer could easily hear her through the wooden door. Lucy welcomed the little sky maiden and requested she let herself in. 

“Sorry you two, we both had trouble sleeping last night.” She kindly explained to Wendy and Carla.   
“Naaaatsuuu, pleeeeaaasee” She whined at him again. She must be growing desperate; after all, he was taking forever. Usually, he was more considerate in the morning, always letting her use the facilities first. He would need to remember to apologize for inconveniencing her. He could hear her footsteps approaching, so he opened the door. She was closer than he anticipated she was just inches from his face her hand raised up just about to knock on the door.

“Sorry Luce.” He whispered softly. His intent was to stare down at his feet in shame, but in his disoriented state he forgot how close she was to him, as well as the fact that she was shorter than him. The ending result was him straight into deep chocolate colored eyes, they held flecks of gold and chestnut. For the first instant those eyes displayed annoyance, then in an instant they displayed kindness. A blush rushed to her cheeks and she looked at her toes. Leaving him to stare at her golden blonde hair. 

“Its err fine.” She replied. She dodged around him and went into the restroom. Closing the door firmly behind her. She leaned against the door and let out a huge breath of air she had been holding since he started her with the opening of the door. Her checks were in a full blush and her heart had a strange rhythm to it. She focused back to the task at hand. Pawning the feelings of embarrassment off on the startling discovery she had made the night before. 

_  
Happy and Carla flew out the window, Happy pleased with himself for convincing his long time crush to join him on a morning glide over the city.

Natsu walked right up to Wendy who was giving him a quizzical look. 

“Wendy please don’t say anything.” He asked her. He knew she had had her suspicions since last night, any dragon slayer worth their salt would be able to smell the change in his scent. It had been a slow and gradual change, but having not seen one another in months the change was much more perceivable. Wendy was still young; she hadn’t grown the same confidence all the other slayers had when identifying smells. She would need a few more years before she was confident enough to always know that her nose was right. Wendy blushed very hard and looked at her toes, wiggling her foot from side to side. 

“I thought, this didn’t happen till you were much older?” She asked Natsu. She was completely aware of ‘The Curse of The Dragon’. Which meant she also knew that is should not have hit any slayer till they were at least 25, and even that was considered early. 

“It's not supposed to, but there was a complication” He briefly explained. 

“Now is not the time to talk about it, ok Wendy? I promise I will explain when everything cools down ok? Until then I need you to keep this a secret for me. You can’t tell anyone; if the other slayers ask for information go ahead and tell them to keep quiet and ask me.” 

“Sure Natsu, but well, does she know about the curse?” Wendy’s first concern would be for the safety of her big sister. She knew that Natsu was a man now, and that meant it wasn’t her place to question his decisions, but she was allowed to ask for clarification to avoid miscommunication. 

“What NO! Of course not, and if I can help it she never will.” Natsu said it in a harsh, frustrated voice. The turmoil rolled within his eyes and stomach. He knew this curse was life and death, but that didn’t mean he was thinking rationally enough to have finalized the big decision. 

Wendy thought about how he must be suffering from this extreme stress. There was a reason this usually didn’t hit till after twenty-five because at least by that age you have a chance to survive it. Wendy was scared for her big brother. Fate was a dangerous thing, and dragons had a history of fighting against it. Sometimes fighting it protected others. However, fighting against the curse could be just as dangerous as facing it head on. She understood why he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. Maybe it would be better when their brothers were here to talk to about all of this. 

She could tell by the way he smelled that he was still only in the first stage. That meant he had time, and hopefully lots of it. The first stage itself usually lasted over a year, and it was completely harmless. It was the good stage, the one with the increase in power, and senses. He truly was the perfect blend of man and dragon now. The thought made her appreciate Natsu even more now, he had always been strong, but now he was also mature. 

“Ok, we can talk after we get back to the guild hall.” She assured him. She knew her place. The hierarchy of dragons was built into each and every one of them. Up until now none of the slayers cared about the formality of it, but since Natsu had reached manhood the shoe had officially dropped. None of the dragon slayers talked about it, it was complicated and none of the rituals had been held yet to make it official but it was an instinct even the young slayer couldn’t ignore. 

“Thanks, Wendy” He replied his hand resting on top of her head in a familiar loving pat. She had always been like a little sister to him, and although she had to agree with him he could feel the emotions rolling off of her, and they confirmed that she was agreeing out of genuine concern not out of a mandatory compliance.

__

Lucy walked into the shared living room again. She had missed the entire conversation, and as soon as she entered both dragons turned their attention directly to her. 

“Good Morning” Wendy greeted her. 

“You too Wendy, and you as well Carla” She replied. Taking a brief glance around the room she realized that neither exceed remained in the room. 

“What did I miss?” She asked Natsu.

“You tell her the good news Wendy,” He said in a voice Lucy had no chance of pick up with regular human ears. She looked towards him, and he winked ever so stealthily towards the slender blonde. The new Natsu hadn’t missed a beat at all. He picked up the emotions Wendy had felt when she had been standing in the room waiting for the two to adjust to the morning. That meant he already knew what Wendy and her exceed had arrived to tell them. 

“I’m coming with you to rejoin Fairy Tail” Wendy pronounced proudly to the women she saw as both a role model and a big sister. Lucy squealed in excitement and ran towards Wendy, picking her up in a massive hug. Lucy began jumping up and down with pure happiness. Her faith in her guild was completely restored with those few words. Lucy had always been a hoper of hopes, and a dreamer of dreams. All she ever needed was a tiny sliver of faith and she would remain steadfast in her faith. With the help of the blue-haired dragon slayer she now knew her guild had a chance. With the two dragon slayers and the celestial mage, they had enough returning members to encourage all the other members of their guild to come back to their home.

 

The small group began to buzz with the excitement of their day. The packed up their room, and walked back to Lamia Scale to share breakfast with the guild, and meet up with Happy and Carla. 

The breakfast had been good, but not as great as Mirajane’s cooking. Lucy, Happy, and Carla had eaten till they were full. While Natsu had nearly none, and Wendy had only one small plate. The group said their brief goodbyes. Wendy's goodbyes took the longest. They all knew that as a fellow guild they would see one another again very soon. Nearby guilds had a way of either being your rival or a second family. Lamia Scale was a cross of the two; they helped create a healthy rivalry and provided a second family when it was needed. The fair wells had been short, but the message was clear: Lamia Scale was just as excited for Fairy Tail to reform as their team was. 

 

Together they all walked to the train station. Wendy and Natsu walked a little slower than the rest of their team. The two slayers talked about what would happen if no one met them at the guild, or if only some of them did. Natsu’s brilliant idea was to create a dragon slayer team with the sole purpose of tracking down each and every member. Wendy could see the logic in his idea. The older she grew, the more she understood why dragons hoarded their gold. It was an instinct to protect what and who you treasured. There really wasn’t anything that could stop a slayer on a mission. Sure someone might slow them down, but unless they were killed a dragon was unstoppable. A real dragon held onto what and who was precious to them. It was the same for dragon slayers. 

Lucy and Happy reached the train station first while Carla flew back to urge the dragon slayers to speed up. Lucy went to the ticket booth while Happy dozed quietly on her back. She knew that Natsu would appreciate the silence when being tortured by the movement of the train so she purchased a private compartment for her team. 

As she walked back to meet up with her team a freezing cold hand grabbed her wrist from behind. She spun around and landed a Lucy kick squarely on the attacker’s chest. He went flying backward into the sky. Lucy heard a familiar wail from just behind her. ‘SHIT’ She thought to herself as she realized that the man who was sky high sailing to meet a rocky landing was her fellow teammate Gray Fullbuster. Juvia continued to wail from where gray had been standing. 

“Love Rival had hurt Gray-sama” She cried loudly.

“Juvia I’m so sorry I had no idea it was you guys. Here I can fix this. HAAAPPPYY!!!” She called loudly to the exceed while shaking him violently from her back to wake him. The blue exceed roused from his slumber in a friendly state. He was more than happy to see another member of his family.

“Hey Happy, would you go fetch Gray from the sky for me, before he hits the dust?” 

Happy jumped off of her back and took off. He was faster than she remembered. There was no way he was that fast before, was there? In an instant, Happy had Gray by the shoulders and was sailing proudly back to join his team. He had a cocky grin on his face, feeling joyous at finally being able to demonstrate the proof of his training in front of his lady friend.

Although Carla would never tell him, she was impressed. That level of speed was clearly new, and he seemed less bothered by the weight of caring a nearly full sized man. Happy smiled with a confidence that she wasn’t very familiar with, but she thought she’d like to be. He placed Gray back down on the ground and landed proudly atop of the black head of hair he had just rescued. Happy to be reunited with his long time friend (who secretly feed him fish since they were little). 

“Hey Lucy” Gray waved to her. She ran over to him and they embraced in a hug. Juvia wailed again and Natsu raced into the crowd punching Gray in the face. It was the closest thing the two partners had to a hug. The two boys began to beat on one another while Lucy, Juvia, Wendy, Happy, and Carla talked to one another.

“When did you guys get here?” Lucy asked Juvia

“Five minutes ago, Juvia was just helping Gray-sama with a few things before we boarded the train” She replied with pink checks. The meaning behind her words made Wendy blush two. Carla scolded them both for the inappropriate behavior. Juvia tried to interject a few times but was quickly defeated by the strong will power of their only female exceed. 

“Did you hear about the guild?” Lucy asked Juvia. It was a logical assumption, but Lucy didn’t want to assume that her team was nearly complete until she knew it to be true. 

“Juvia and Gray-sama heard, all of Fiore knows.” She replied with confidence. The two girls took a brief break in their conversation to squeal in happiness and engulf one another in a heart filled hug. In the process, Gray, Natsu, and several other patrols planning on boarding the train completely stopped their business to witness the jumping and bouncing chests of the women in front of them.

“How did you find out?” Lucy continued to question her friend. While the bounced in excitement, joyous to be reunited again. Juvia, however, seemed to be a little flushed from all of the excitement. The two girls paused their celebration to continue the conversation. 

“Like everyone else did I suppose. Natsu can’t just set fire to the parliament building and expect people not to notice. Ever mage in Fiore read about Fairy Tail getting back together in Sorcerer Weekly.” Juvia chucked to herself. Love Rival’s partner indeed had a way of getting attention in their favorite magazine. 

“Hmm,” Lucy mulled it over. Although she usually knew what was happening at Sorcerer Weekly she had left her job rather quickly. It was just like her author Jason to print a scoop like this as soon as it reached his ears. She would have to give him a call with a communication lacramia as soon as she had a chance to apologize for her rudeness. 

“Does this mean you guys are coming to rejoin the guild too?” Lucy squealed excitedly, beginning to bounce up and down on her own this time. This caused Natsu to stare in bewilderment, Gray quickly noticed that his rival’s defenses were down and cleanly landed a jab to the jaw. The well-placed jab caused their fight to restart as if it hadn’t stopped at all.

“Juvia and Gray-sama would never leave our Fairy Tail behind.” Juvia snubly replied. Although she was always defensive with Lucy, they both knew deep down that their friendship was a strong one. They had fought many battles side by side, and that type of dependability wasn’t something you just forgot. 

Suddenly Natsu stopped mid-fight with his nose to the air. He ran over to Juvia and started smelling her up and down. Just as suddenly he was kicked in the face by Gray. He had managed to send the slayer several feet back. Natsu had even tried to defend himself.

“Get off of her!” He screamed while wielding an ice make spear, and creating a shield that was placed between Juvia and the stunned dragon slayer. Natsu took three steps back and put both his hands in the air high above his head. He surrendered the fight instantly and completely. Just seconds before he had been all fists and fury, now he was as docile as a kitten. 

“I’m sorry Gray, I didn’t know” Natsu apologized full-heartedly. With Natsu’s full surrender Gray also calmed down. 

“Ya, whatever, for someone with such a sensitive nose you forget to use it and awful lot.” Gray lightly teased Natsu, while returning back to Juvia’s side. He wrapped his arms delicately around her waist. His chin rested on her should. 

“Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, and Happy I’d like to introduce you all to Mrs. Juvia Fullbuster, and soon to be baby Fullbuster.” Natsu and Wendy smiled calmly having both already smelt the presence of the growing fetus. Happy, Carla, and Lucy, on the other hand had their mouths dropped to the cement floor. Completely in shock that Gray had actually made a move. 

Everyone in all of Fiore knew that Juvia was hopelessly in love with Gray, but no one up had any idea of how Gray felt for her. Apparently Gray had chosen to talk to Ezra about it once, but her secret keeping skills were legendary among the guild. Lucy stared strangely at her teammate, she was bewildered. When Fairy Tail disbanded she kept tabs as best she could. She had known Gray and Juvia stayed together but hadn’t known why. 

“Juvia and Gray-sama will share their story of love with Love Rival and her team when we are on the train,” Juvia said, clearly acting as the voice of reason. Lucy and the cats were so shocked they forgot it was time to board the train. Wendy and Natsu were both distracted by the unwillingness to experience motion sickness they doddle noticeably but eventually boarded the train. 

The team climbed aboard the train carriage and shuffled into their private compartment. Wendy sat gracefully down just before the train started to move, Natsu was standing behind Lucy waiting for her to take her seat. With the movement of the train and the slowness of his partner, Natsu ended up in a giant heap of helpless dragon slayer on the floor of the compartment. Lucy pulled him out of the fetal position and hoisted him up beside her. His face plastered against the window, and the rest of his body slumped into a useless mess. With Natsu and Wendy down for the count, and both cats resting on in the laps of their dragon slayers. The air held a gentleness to it the type that was perfect for listening to a story.


	4. Chapter 4

The train ride from Hargeon to Magnolia was a short one. Lucy knew that was a small blessing for the two dragon slayers. The longer the train ride, the more crippling their sickness would become. Lucy could recall one time where Natsu took a full day to get over the nausea of a particularly long train ride across Fiore. Although the train ride was short it was long enough for Lucy to learn all the gossip about how Gray and Juvia’s relationship had started. She thought back to the story Juvia had just told her:  
_____

Juvia started her story at their second beginning. Although their friendship had begun after the defeat of Phantom Lord. During the Phantom Lord attack they had fought as enemies, each siding with their own guild, vowing to become the victory. Their first encounter had been an oddity, Juvia seemed to fall in love at first sight, however, Gray was determined to win and save his home. In the end, he defeated the blunette. He had played a major role in the defeat of Phantom Lord, while showing the saddened girl kindness. Gray had shown her chivalry and kindness, her love for him was set in stone from that day forth. He had vouched for her to join Fairy Tail and had turned her entire life around. Although their true beginning had its charm it didn’t hold the romance that their reunion held. It was their second beginning that had changed their relationship for good; it was where Gray had really learned to recognize her for the beauty within, for her self-control, and dedication to him and their guild. 

*Flashback to the disbandment of Fairy Tail*  
Gray had left Magnolia without a word. She knew he wouldn’t be interested in taking her with him. He had suffered too much loss in their last battle. He needed time to center himself. Although she had wanted to be her usual overbearing self this wasn’t the time. She chose to suppress all of those emotions and give her love the space he would need. She had been trying to fix everything for him for too long. He had never wanted her help before so she knew it wouldn’t be wanted now.  
She feared he would never want to see her again. She had killed his father, and he would likely never forgive her. If one day, he wanted to speak with her again then he would have to approach her. She didn’t want to worsen his pain with her presence. She knew first hand that seeing the person who killed a parent was like grinding salt into a fresh wound. She refused to allow herself to go chasing after him. It broke her heart further to know their love was now doomed. There was nothing to do about it, so she threw herself into her role as a Fairy Tail member to drown out the sorrow of her loss.   
Fairy Tail had disbanded just a week before. Already so many people had moved on. To them, it seemed like there was nothing to stay for. The guild and their homes had been destroyed. They had no more personal belongings. They didn’t even need to pack; having nothing left to take with them. Levy took this the hardest, as all of her beloved books were nothing but rubble. It had started as a slow trickle, guild mates one after another slowly walking away.   
At first, they had all found shelter and stayed to help resurrect Magnolia. As the town progressed more and more they slowly began to group up and walk away. Elfman’s group had been the largest. He had convinced Ever, Bickslow, Mira, and Lisanna to join him. They had been some of the last to leave, but the magnitude of it had hit Juvia the hardest. With Mira gone all of the remaining wizards were forced to realize it was time to move on. Levy and Gajeel’s teams were the last to leave. Juvia knew Gajeel’s had made his group wait as long as possible. He had been hoping to convince her to join them. He always acted like a jerk, but deep down it wasn’t true. They had been teammates for many years, and their bond was closer than most siblings. Words were often not needed, instead, they would allow comfortable silence to fill all the voids unnecessary words would create. She knew how he felt about Levy, and couldn’t force herself to ask him to stay with her in Magnolia. His heart wanted to be by Levy’s side, and although he felt protective over his adoptive sister he didn’t want to stay in Magnolia if it meant leaving Levy. Instead, she had wished them luck on their journey and found a nearby hotel to bunker down. She had become the last remaining Fairy Tail mage in Magnolia.

She tried her hardest to watch out for her friends, but none returned. As one week turned into two Magnolia began to feel like a ghost town. Where once it had been filled with the joyous laughter of friends now it was filled with the shattered hearts of its citizens.   
Magnolia was mending slowly, but time seemed to drag on for all the members of the town. Juvia was getting to the point where it was just too much for her. The sadness of the loss their town had suffered had become contagious. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that if something didn’t change the whole town would throw in the towel and move on. She had to do something to help her hometown. She had to do something for her guild. She knew that this disbandment would be their greatest trial of faith thus far and she was determined to never give up. 

A few days later Juvia called a town meeting in the middle of the park. She had passed out flyers at every shop, and ever house she could find, for two whole days. Her meeting had become the talk of the town and people began flocking into the park an hour before it was even scheduled to begin.  
By the time the meeting was scheduled to begin, all of Magnolia was standing in the park. She stood on top of a wooden platform, a few feet higher than the crowd before her. Her hand shook a little’ but she had vowed to do everything in her power do fix her hometown. She forced herself to calm her nerves and began to speak in a crisp voice.  
“Fellow citizens of Magnolia, as the last mage of Fairy Tail in Magnolia I have a favor to ask of you! Our beloved town has been decimated by the powers of the Dark Lord. Our hearts have been broken and our passion is taken away. We must fight off all the evil that remains in our town. It has contaminated our hearts and filled us all with unbridled sadness. We must unite and accomplish a common goal to overcome this plague on our town. Will you help me?”   
The townsfolk had cheered; it was the most joyous sound anyone had heard since the day Tartarus had attacked. Many townspeople had questions and even more had suggestions. Their meeting had lasted past midnight. The small children had huddled together and slept in each other's arms while their parents formulated a plan. The adults worked as a team, not only to overcome the sadness, but to create help, and hope for ever member of Magnolia.  
They had identified the needs of each family and citizen. They found ways to work as a community to support one another through the difficulties they were addressing. Some drew blueprints for new homes, some designed new shop layouts to attract tourists. They came up with a bullet proof plan on how to use each person’s strengths towards accomplishing their common goal. The elderly had been tasked with watching the young; the strong had been tasked with repairing what was broken; the weak had been tasked with caring those in need. 

At the front of all of this progress stood Juvia. She had organized an entire town to perfection. All of Magnolia had come to adore her. Her passion lite a fire under each of them, and together Magnolia had returned to its status as one of the loveliest towns in all of Fiore. After a month’s time, the town was running smoothly again. Juvia had called another town meeting, she planned on asking the townsfolk for one last favor.  
Once the second meeting had commenced she revealed her plan to the town. She planned to rebuild their guildhall without any member of Fairy Tail knowing about it. She knew that when her guild mates returned they would need a place to work, and sleep. She also knew that all of Magnolia felt that their town was empty without the guild. By rebuilding the guild hall, the entire town would hold out hope that Fairy Tail would return to them. With a bit of help from her new friends, the task should be a relatively easy one. Once everyone had agreed, she had flagged the kitchen staff to begin. They walked out plate after plate and rolled out a mobile bar. Juvia was good at many things, and throwing a party was just one of her many talents. Maybe when Fairy Tail was reunited she would be able to come out of her shell more, show the guild this side of her.   
At least ten drinks into the evening Juvia found herself being carried away in the arms of her love. She had not known when she had fallen asleep but at least in this dream, her love was simply caring her to her hotel. It was much better than the usual nightmares she now regularly had about him. The ones where he would call her a murdered and banish her from Fairy Tail. 

*Earlier that day*  
Gray strolled through Magnolia in just a few short weeks the entire town had begun to flourish again. The shops sparkled with a warm glow. The streets were free of debris, and new houses were popping up like wildflowers. It was a huge relief to find that Magnolia was returning to normal. In his grief, he had abandoned it, and he felt guilt for his poor behavior. He had vowed to return and rectify the errors of his ways. Both in abandoning his home, and in for not having the courage to talk to Juvia. 

He would chase her across all of Fiore if he had to, but she had to know that he was in debt to her. The women she was growing into impressed him more and more. The way she had fought the necromancer put him in awe. She had always been more powerful than him, and she was so free and honest with her emotions even though he was always so disconnected and private. She was his opposite in so many ways. She chose to be loud and upfront with how she felt, yet was hesitant and shy when it came to her many abilities. She was shy and self-conscious about her body and her powers. It was completely the opposite of him. He was always confident in his body, and his powers, yet reserved with his emotions.

He knew she deserved more than what he had given her. He left her abandoned in a time of great need. He had been selfish, again. He knew that he would need to work on it. He had been consistently forgetting how a real man was supposed to prioritize the women in his life. She currently wasn’t even his team mate, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t a priority to him. He thought to himself that it didn’t matter if they were officially teammates or not. They both knew that they were. They had been taking jobs just the two of them for some time, and she had refused to join Gajeel’s team since she had joined Fairy Tail.  
Back then he hadn’t wanted to leave team Natsu, but he should have invited her to join it. He had his reasons at the time. He had been trying to buy himself time to process how he felt for her. She was always full tilt and he hadn’t been ready for it every minute of the day. She wanted everything to be serious and fast. Whatever happened to the guy wearing the pants? For the man to ask the women out?   
It felt embarrassing to have the girl pursue him. He wanted others to perceive him as strong and confident. He could have easily gotten over that; but, at the time, it hadn’t mattered how heavily she pursued him because he wasn’t ready. He was shy when it came to matters of the heart. It took him close to a year to even admit to himself he had feelings for her. By the time he was ready to ask her out, she was ready to get married. He had tried, but the words were often lost. She would steal the show and he would be forced to try again another time. To this day he hadn’t even once managed to tell her he had feelings for her.  
He had decided that it was about time she knew, even it that meant being unconventional and letting her take charge. He often lacked a sound vocabulary around her. She didn’t seem to notice that he was more of a physical person. He couldn’t tell her he had feelings, but he could show her through his actions. He would hold her hand; he would pick her first when he needed a partner; he would even blend his magic with hers. Even with all of that she seemed to need to hear him say it for her to believe it. 

She was always so insecure. He wanted to make her understand him better. It was different now, since she had fought the necromancy so much had changed. He could see her through a different lens now. She had willing put her life on the line for a chance that he would be safe. She took on the death of his father so that he wouldn’t have too. Not only did she defeat one of the Tartarus demons, but she did it all well knowing it would be the cause of her own heartbreak. She chose to sacrifice her love of him, for him. He had never witnessed anything so beautiful in his entire life. Only she would be so self-sacrificing that her own life was a price worth paying for his good. 

He felt like such a piece of shit. He had left her hanging for what must seem like an eternity to her. He had been self-centered and selfish. He had acted like a dirtbag towards her. She deserved such much more than what he had given her. Even through all that she still wanted him. If that wasn’t love then nothing ever would be. She loved him, her love was brilliant, unconditioned, and had no string attached. He would strive to show her the same. Sure he couldn’t always express himself well with his words, but from here on out he was going to act the part. He would force all of his actions to shout to the world that she was his greatest priority.   
If only he could find her. His plan was to start in Magnolia and gather information on where she went. He figured she probably teamed back up with Gajeel after he abandoned her to visit his father's grave. Once he had a lead he would hunt her down and somehow tell her the truth. He would thank her for all that she had done. Not just for granting his father peace, but also for caring for him so perfectly. 

Dusk was setting in and he could hear a party going on in the distance. He walked to the last shop with its lights on. He planned to ask yet another shopkeeper if they had known where Gajeel’s team was heading too. The shops lights turned off and the front door opened. A small baker walked out with several cakes and a set of keys to finish his lock up. Grey approached the small man overloaded with cakes.  
“Hey master baker, do you happen to know where Black Steel Gajeel and his team went to?”  
“No Ice wielder I don’t” His reply was gruff as he heaved the boxes of cakes higher, trying to balance them, and reach the lock at the same time. Gray helped by taking over half of the boxes of baked goods into his larger arms. This allowed the baker to lock up with ease.   
“I’m sorry I can’t help you find your friends, but if I’m late with these cakes, I’ll never live it down. That blue haired mage of yours sure runs a tight ship.” The baker said while walking away. Without the need to hold his keys the boxes were much easier for him to carry on his own.

“Blue haired Mage?? What Blue haired mage?” Gray ran after the baker, feeling an overwhelming rush of adrenaline spread through his body. 

“Don’t you know. She’s the only mage in all of Fairy Tail that stayed behind. She’s the savior of the city. She’s basically in charge now. She’s helped us all get organized, and is paying for most of the repairs herself. All of Magnolia owes a great debt to miss Juvia.” 

Gray stood completely still. All of the news reaching his ears stunned him. Hadn't juvia gone with Gajeel? She had stayed with Magnolia, even though there was no longer a Fairy Tail to belong to? How did she manage to pay for all of those repairs? He knew she was kind hearted but this was way above and beyond the necessary amount. He knew Fairy Tail had stayed for a few days and got the town back on its feet, but what he saw when he looked all around him was more than just helping. The entire town looked liked is was laced with magic. Everything shone, and shimmered in the moonlight.

The baker entered a building filled with, what looked like, nearly ever citizen of Magnolia. Gray stood at the entrance stunned by the vision he saw. The entire banquet hall was packed with townsfolk. All of them sung her praises. Her hair shone in the moonlight, making her seem like a goddess sitting on her throne. He wondered if she had bewitched the crowd beneath her. Her beauty was unsurpassable, and her elegance unmistakable. He had been such an idiot this past year to drag her along as he had done.  
Once he took a step back he could clearly see the vision before him. She was more beautiful than a blossoming rose. He wanted to speak with her but he hadn’t been invited in. If she was in charge she would remain surrounded by people. No way would she want to have this type of conversation in a room full of people.   
He stood outside thinking of what to do. It donned on him that even if he did go inside he hadn’t planned what to say to her. He would just freeze up again, and end up struggling for words. Out of habit, he would probably end up stripping, and that was a major party foul. Once that realization had donned on him, he decided it was best to spend the night planning what to say, and approach her tomorrow.   
He needed to think, and he knew the perfect spot. The parks garden near where their guild had once been. He walked along the rivers canal and occasionally tossed in a stone as he thought about how he was going to approach Juvia tomorrow.   
Once he reached the gardens he found a comfortable patch of grass to lay down on. He wondered if he should buy a gift for her. Maybe if he gave her a gift she would understand his intentions better. Maybe she would understand that he was apologizing for being such an ass and that he needed her guidance in how to do a better job in the future.   
Out of nowhere the entire garden was in a pouring rain. It had gone from a few puffy clouds in the night sky to a complete downpour. He knew it could only mean one thing; Juvia was here. She must be somewhere in the rain. He was guessing, but from the size of this storm, he wasn’t feeling too happy.   
He began searching for her in the pouring rain. He could barely see, and had to tread carefully not to step into a flower bed, or puddle of mud. When he grew closer he could hear her. She was screaming, he couldn’t make out what, but the closer he got the more audible it became.  
A few more feet forward and he found himself under a giant oak tree. Juvia was standing on the other side of the tree just out of reach from the shelter the leaves offered to provide. She stood angrily in the pouring rain screaming at the sky.  
“I HATE YOU!” She screamed into the sky   
“WHY! WHY DID I HAVE TO KILL HIM! ITs ALL YOUR FAULT!” She was slurring her speech ever so slightly.   
She wailed than into the sky, to the world. She whimpered with the grief she was feeling. For the lives she had taken, for the happiness she had lost.   
“He’s never going to understand! He’ll never love me now, I’ll always be a murdered and now I have nothing left! No family no guild! What do you want from me! Don’t I deserve more than this?”  
Gray stood on the other side of the large tree. It wasn’t decent for him to listen to her fight with her god, but he couldn’t move. She was so hurt, and it was all his fault. He had abandoned her when she had needed him. She was lost in this world and wrestling the demons of those she had killed to save her guild.   
He wanted to approach her; to hug her and take away her pain, but he couldn’t. He was forced remember himself a week before hand. He had been standing above his father’s grave screaming into the night sky nearly identically to how Juvia was now. He had thrown a few dozen empty beer bottles in every direction. He hated that his memories of his father were now tainted. He hated that he was tasked with taking on E.N.D. himself.   
He had felt turmoil in his chest and he hadn’t known what to do. That night had been the hardest night of his life. However, it had also done him a world of good. He had recovered from it. Now he was able to take a step back and see all of his mistakes. He knew now that to take on E.N.D. he would have to be stronger, and he would need the support of his teammates. He knew that at his current strength he didn’t have a shot. He decided then that maybe with a blue haired mage on his team he could develop the strength he would need. That night had been the panicle point in his grief, it forced him to man up, and stop acting like a victim. He knew first hand that what Juvia was doing through was good for her and that she needed to get it out. 

Time faded away with her anger. She was growing quiet. She was tired and her voice was spent from all of her yelling. He planned on following her home to keep her safe. Even in Magnolia it was a bad idea to let someone this drunk walk home alone. He hadn’t anticipated that she would curl up under the tree to fall asleep. He knew it was ok for him to approach her now. He walked over to her and hoisted her up into his arms. It seemed he would be taking her to bed tonight after all. Although not in the way he had previously fantasized about. She needed someone to keep her safe, and he needed a place to sleep. He would tuck her in and find a couch. Maybe tomorrow go he would have better luck communicating with the drunken girl. In the meantime, he still had to plan what he was going to say to her.  
__________

When she had awoken the following morning she had a hangover like no other. She began to strip out of her clothing intent on taking a long bath before scrounging up a very greasy breakfast.   
“Ah, hem.” A cough sounded from the other side of her room.  
Juvia screamed in fear! Who had slept in her room! Had she unknowingly taken a lover to bed? It had been years since that had happened last, and she had vowed it would never happen again.   
Gray stood up, from the floor beside her king sized bed. He stared at her for a long moment. Juvia’s mind was racing a thousand miles a minute. At least she didn’t have to worry about taking a strange lover to bed, but had she had sex with Gray? He hadn’t seemed like the type to prey on drunken women, but you never know until its too late. Why was he looking at her like that? Why was he here? Wasn’t he supposed to be off somewhere hating her?   
Gray must have read the confusion on her face because he began to answer the most present question.  
“Don’t worry Juvia, I didn’t take advantage of you last night. I carried you home after finding you sleeping under a tree in the park.” It made sense to her that she would be in the park, that’s where she usually went when she needed to cry. Her crying was a usual side effect of her drinking. She would walk to the park chanting ‘drip, drip, drop’ holding her powers at a mild drizzle. Once she reached the park she would let the emotions ride their course. They would sweep through her, and the garden would get watered by her tears. No one knew of her secret spot beneath the oak tree. She would often fall asleep there once her emotions had run their course. When she would wake the following morning the garden would be more beautiful. The garden always grew greener after being rejuvenated by the endless storm just beneath her skin.   
She nodded her head slowly accepting his explanation as truth.   
“Go ahead and take that bath, I’ll make breakfast.” Gray gently instructed her. He could tell by the tears brimming just behind her fake smile that the evening before had taken a toll on her. She had been fighting off her fears and doubts for weeks; choosing to tackle the problems of the entire town before addressing her own. However, as Gray knew all too well, you can be a tuff fighter day after day but once you add alcohol into the equation the bow always breaks; with or without your consent to let all of the grief and fears in.   
Juvia slowly walked into the restroom, Gray headed down the stairs to go prepare their breakfast. Bacon and eggs with orange juice and toast would do the tired girl a world of good. 

Juvia hesitantly walked down the stairs just as Gray finished plating their meal. She hadn’t known he could cook, but it smelled like heaven to her. She sat in the seat he gestured to, and prepared herself mentally for the onslaught she assumed was coming. Just because he treated her with courtesy didn’t mean he had forgotten. He knew that his father had been killed because of her actions against the necromancer. She sat in silence waiting for him to begin. He rose from his seat and walked over to her. Juvia’s breath hitched in her chest, she had no idea what was coming but she couldn’t force herself to breath. His breath hit her check just before his lips did.   
The world stopped in that moment. There was nothing but him. Her mind was silent and nothing else mattered. She didn’t need to know why he was kissing her cheek; she didn’t even need to know what he felt when he did. All she wanted in the world was for time to forever stand still.   
He stayed like that for longer than made sense. Instead of a light peck on the check as one might kiss a sister or friend, he stayed. He placed a hand on her shoulder and lifted his lips just enough to speak gently into her ear. His voice was rough like the wind before the storm, it had a depth to it that she had never heard before.   
“Thank you Juvia. Thank you for being just what I needed you to be. For fighting the necromancer for me when you knew the cost to yourself. For holding out hope not only with our guild but with me. You’ve given me space when it was what I needed most. You’re the strongest partner I’ve ever had because you know me as well as I know myself. What you’ve done here, with this town, it’s shown me a whole side of you I had no idea even existed. You’re beautiful Juvia inside and out, and I know now that you’ve been making the hard calls behind the scenes for our guild. You’ve saved this town, and you’ve saved me. I promise from now on, if you will let me, I will do a better job from here on out, of being your partner. I won’t let you down again, and I will stay by your side for as long as you let me, however, you want me, for as long as you will allow”  
*END FLASHBACK*  
It had been that simple for them. With just a few sentences they had begun their journey. He had finally admitted to her that he cared and that he wasn’t going anywhere. Sometimes love is that simple. With just a few words it can blossom into a perfect union, where each partner complements the other so perfectly that everyone thinks their previous self must have bee a shell of who they truly are. 

Lucy was in awe of the simplicity of their relationship. Neither pulled away from the other, neither showed shame or fear. They just were. The Gray and Juvia she had known before were two of the most opposite personalities she had seen. And yet they fit together better than her keys fit into the palm of her hand. The knew each other strengths and weaknesses and worked as a team to overcome ever difficulty. She was happy that they had finally worked it out, and that they were now starting a family of their own. It was going to be a challenge for them, but she hoped they adjusted to parenting just as easily as they had to their roles as husband and wif


	5. Chapter 5

The train pulled into Magnolia, and the passengers started to file off one by one. Lucy tried to rouse Natsu. It always took him a few minutes to feel the effects of his balance being restored; unless it was caused my Wendy's 'Troia' spell. Lucy tugged at him, some how managing to wrap his left arm around her shoulders, so that she could support his weight enough to walk him off of the train.  
As they walked down the steps of their train to stand on the Magnolia platform they were greeted by a hoard of Fairy Tail members. Each returning member still bore their guild mark. Lucy was stunned. So many of her friends had made it! Fairy Tail still wasn't complete but it certainly was a start. When looking into the crowd of familiar faces she noted that several of her closest friends were missing. Gajeel and Levy, The Strauss family, and the thunder legion were all no shows. Even Erza was missing from the large crowd. When she looked around she couldn't see a single S class wizard. Although their welcome home was a large one it seemed a tad hollow. As it was the strongest members of fairy Tail were the ones she brought with her; Gray, Natsu, Juvia, and Herself.  
_  
Juvia excitedly took charge of the crowd. She loudly spoke above the voices of all the returning Fairy Tail mages.  
"It's so good to see you have come to meet us! As all of you know our previous guild was destroyed by the Tartarus attacks. What you don't know is that I have a surprise for you all. It you will follow Gray-sama and I to our guild hall you shall see!"  
Together the body of Fairy Tail members marched threw Magnolia. Leaving the train platform, they headed towards where their guild hall had once been. As they walked along the pavement trail people started to line the streets. All of the townsfolk cheered the return of their beloved guild. The year the town had spent without wizards had been a difficult one. Every person in Magnolia had held out hope that their work would be appreciated once the guild returned.  
Many of the mages began to start small displays of their magic as they walked throughout the roadway. Everyone had missed the annual Fantasia Parade and the displays of magic were greeted with cheers and hollers. The town was thrilled to see wizards and their magic once again present in their favorite community. Natsu was beginning to feel better, he was happy to be on solid ground again. Ever the people pleaser he started to write the words Fairy Tail into the air as he walked closer to his guild. They turned the final corner and the entire group stood still.  
This was their guild? It clearly held the name and guild mark onto of its roof. Its size was comparable to a garden shed. Lucy's old bathroom could fit two or three buildings this size into it. From the outside it looked to be a small wooden cabin. Only large enough to be one room, and she was certain that there wasn't enough room for the small hut to fit all of Fairy Tail's members.  
The field behind it however were indeed brilliant. It looked like seven different rings were set up for sparing. A few of them being completely surrounded by magical enchantments to keep all magic safely within them. Besides the sparing rings was a magical obstacle course. It had many portable SE-plugs that the wizard would wear while attempting to overcome the course. The course itself would monitor the wizard's abilities and adjust its difficulty settings based on the mages magical output. On the other side of the sparing rings was a hot tub and sauna. With a large outdoor gazebo that held lounge chairs and small tables.  
"Wow Juvia the outside is brilliant! I can't believe all of this. It looks like we will all be able to focus more on our training when we come to visit the guildhall." Lucy tactfully said. She knew everyone was thinking about the small building, but she could appreciate all the effort her friend had put into their home. It wasn't easy to build a guild hall, without any guild members around to help with its construction.  
Juvia giggled to herself, and Gray decided to take charge.  
"After we saw Natsu's signal we decided it was a good idea to stock up on supplies for when everyone got here. That's why we were in Hargeon. The supplies should have arrived on the first train this morning. I bet the others are busy unpacking it as we speak.  
"Others?" Lucy questioned him.  
"Ya we recruited a few of the stronger mages yesterday to give us a hand finishing the build."  
"Oh…" Lucy thought to herself that they must have only stared working on the guild a week or two ago. The outside grounds looked beautiful but it wasn't likely that something so small had taken more than a few days to build.  
Juvia giggled to herself again. Her gift to the guild was a wonderful. They had yet to fully realize just how glorious it was below the surface. She slowly walked over to the entrance to her guildhall and opened it for her friends.  
"Welcome home Fairy Tail." She spoke loudly to her guild mates. When the doors opened the two the dragon slayers went on high alert. The had sensed something that normal humans weren't able to.  
_  
"No way Juvia!" Natsu shouted in happiness. He grabbed Lucy's wrist and barreled into their guild.  
"What the hell Natsu!" Lucy began to yell at her partner but before she could get out all of her anger her train of thought ran away from her. Instead of a small guild hall filled to busting there was instead many shelves and coat racks, and one very long stair case leading underground.  
Natsu pulled Lucy along before she even had a chance to appreciate the small room. They reached the first floor of their guild hall and looked around in astonishment. It was larger than their last two guilds combined. The main room had a giant bar, as well as a small restaurant style buffet table. It was filled with dinning tables and benches. Against the far wall stood a stair case that went up one level. The entire level was dedicated to offices for the leaders of Fairy Tail. There stood 10 offices that Lucy could see; each one was labeled with a different mages name.  
In front of the office stair case stood a giant sparing ring. It was magically lined with barriers to keep all the magic within it. For a five-foot radius around the sparing ring there was a second magical circle. It clearly was made by Freed. It stated that any mage who chose to use magic within its barriers would be forced into the sparing ring. The sparing ring was a brilliant idea and Natsu seemed eager to start putting it to use. However, it was the other attractions that held Lucy's attention. On either side of the main room stood two large lofts. One to the left was filled with couches and comfy lounging chairs. Against the far wall was a large TV lacrima and a mini bar. The sign above the spacious loft labelled it the "Lounge Bar". The loft to the right side of giant underground hall held many comfy benches and couches. Several quant desks, and luscious carpets. The entire loft was covered in floor to ceiling shelves. Over half of them were already filled with books, and most of the floor was covered in boxes of books yet to unpacked. Against the far wall was a closed door that was labeled Library. The sign above this loft was labeled "The Reading Nook."  
Lucy squealed loudly to herself! She knew by the sheer number of unpacked boxes of books that Levy had to be somewhere inside of the guild.  
"Juvia, I don't even have words for how beautiful this is. Its amazing!"  
The crowd was slowly filling in from the stair case. Many ohhs and awes were let out. Each wizard was in shock of the guild before them.  
"Where is everyone?" Lucy asked Juvia.  
"I'm guessing they're all in their rooms getting settled in." Juvia gestured to a large black stair case off to the right. It stood hidden behind a lovely rose colored curtain.  
"Rooms?" Lucy questioned  
"Of course, the second floor holds a suite for each team. Each suite holds a room for each member, unless they're married *she blushed to herself* in which case the two share a room. I had Freed spell and implant a lacrima into each door so that no one may enter the room without the consent of the rooms owner. That consent may only last a few minutes, or could last eternally based on the wizard's whims."  
All of fairy tail began to wander down the stairs to their new living quarters. Just as everyone was leaving Juvia loudly shouted, regaining control over the group.  
"There is to be a guild meeting tomorrow at six, and a party to follow at eight. There will be many new rules to discuss as well as missions to plan. Until than try to get settled." Most nodded before turning back to their exploration.  
_  
Grey wrapped his arms lovingly around his astonishing wife. She had done beautifully. He thought back over the last year he and Juvia had shared together. Juvia along with their love had blossomed. She became more radiant every day he spent with her. She glowed with a wonder only an expecting mother could. He thought to himself that he was the luckiest man alive. She had blessed him with her love, and when he returned it to her he got to watch the positive affect his love had on her. Where she had once been shy, she was now empowered. She shared her talents openly with others, and she didn't feel shame or embarrassment like she had before. She had also learnt self control over her emotions, and how she expressed them. He cherished every day he was allowed to spend by her side.  
Their year had been a journey but he wouldn't change a minute of it.  
*FLASHBACK*  
Juvia sat at her small kitchen table. Gray had just apologized to her for his previous behaviour. He had promised that he would make it up to her if she only let him. His words had caused a tsunami of emotions to hit her like an oversized wave.  
Although she was mad that he had hurt her, she was also happy he had apologized. She was elated that he realized what a jerk he had been. She was in disbelief that he might wanted her. Which in turned confused her, what exactly did he want? Was it a partnership? A Friendship? To be teammates? Could it possibly be that he was referring to more than that? She had no idea what he wanted out of their future together. In a split-second one emotion took the helm. It hit her that he didn't harbour a grudge against her. He didn't see her as murder. The wave of relief was so refreshing it caused her to looser her balance slightly. When she looked into his eyes she couldn't see any hatred, instead she saw only honesty. She began to cry; it was to much for her to process at once.  
He walked to around her to her back and started to gently rub her shoulders. He knew it had taken him to long to express all of this to her. The consequences of his delay was how long it was going to take to convince her what he said was sincere. She would need time to understand his apology; time to trust his sincerity; and time to realize his commitment to improve for her. He had done her a lot of damage, but with time he knew he could fix it.  
"Gray-sama I don't understand." Juvia whispered through quivering lips.  
"I'm not one for words Juvia, I never have been. But if you let me I'll show you. I'll show you today, and tomorrow, and for as long as you let me, exactly how I feel for you." Gray said it while staring at his feet. He tried to convince himself that now was not the time to start fearing rejection. He knew he had fucked up but he wasn't sure if she would accept his apology. As badly as he wanted her to accept him know, he knew that if he didn't man up and show her his intentions that the chance would pass him by. Fear be damned, she had to know.  
Juvia was still confused. The relief she felt was still holding fast, and she now knew that he didn't hate her. That in itself was huge progress, however she still wasn't sure what he was asking from her. Was he asking to make their partnership official of was he asking for more?  
Juvia got out of her chair, and turned to face the man she loved. Even after all this doubt and heart break she couldn't stop loving him. She knew that she was prone to jumping to conclusions, and she chose to show some restraint. She hoped with the entirety of her heart that he wanted more with her than just forming a team. She felt hope that he might want to join her, here in Magnolia because she wasn't ready to leave yet.  
She refused to allow herself be the girl who couldn't do it on her own. Even though her heart called out to her she had to force it down. Her heart wanted to go with him, to follow him to end of the world. She refused to listen to it. She had had enough of being the tag along. She didn't know what he wanted from her, and she wouldn't budge from her position no matter what it was. She had made a promise to herself that she would stop settling for less that what she deserved, it was a promise she refused to break.  
She stood face to face with her Gray-sama that this was a stand off, and she didn't want to loose. With each passing second she was feeling more hopeful. She had had enough of all this uncertainty. She had been waiting for far to long. Her mind was trying to plan for every possibility; If he said that he wanted to be her team mate she would have to shut him down. After the night she had had last night she knew she could no longer keep that doorway open. She wasn't going to allow herself to be strung along any more. She either needed him to step up, or she needed to move on. She had made her desires clear, and had waited for a response for over a year. She could only allow so much heart break to run its course before she wised up and got the hint. He was going to give her a clear answer one way or another.  
"Show me what Gray-sama?" she asked for clarification while staring into his dark blue eyes. She could feel the pressure building underneath his skin. He was so close to her that his breath brushed across her skin.  
"Show you…" His words trailed off. With another deep breath in he set his shoulders and tried again.  
"Show you that..." He failed again. Each time he tried to speak his mind would freeze. He felt like he was cornered by a foe and needed to run away. He wanted to scream out in frustration. He knew was acting like a coward, but wasn't able to muster the words. He ran a hand threw his unruly black hair, and took in a sharp breath.  
"This!" It was all he managed to say before he forcefully pushed his lips onto hers. He knew that the words would continue to fail him, but maybe if he could show her a glimmer of how he felt she would realize how serious he was.  
His hands wrapped around her waist tugging her closer to him. He trailed his fingers up her spine, and wrapped them into her flowy hair. She seemed hesitant to kiss him. He could tell that she was trying to solve the puzzle he had presented her. He'd have to try harder to convince her that his actions were sincere.  
His words weren't there, but his desire was. He carefully parted her lips with his own. In an heartbeat she morphed from a damsel in destress to a lustful feline. She was kissing him back causing a fire to spread through every inch of him. Their tongues met and began to dance in an elegant fight for dominance. Before a victor was chosen they were forced to part each gasping for air. In between her deep inhales he heard a soft whisper.  
"Yes." She drew another deep breath and took a step backwards to clear her head. The single step set a boundary that said this conversation isn't over.  
His kissing had been both an answer and a distraction. She knew what his intentions were now, but she didn't have a chance to give him her answer.  
"Yes" she continued "I accept your apology, but you need to know that if you treat me so poorly again I wont allow it… I don't fully know what you are offering but I'll take whatever you are willing to share with me, if its love or lust, I want to share it with you."  
His spirit practically leapt out of his skin with joy. He knew of only one answer to give to her that full summed up how he was feeling in that second.  
"How about both?" He said it with a cocky grin spreading from ear to ear. He stepped forward once more taking her lips with his own.  
*END FLASHBACK*  
_  
Grey knew that he had come so far since that day. He had come out of his shell and shared his emotions honestly with his life partner. He now knew how to show her love. She had taught him not to hold back the truth from her, and that by being open and honest love becomes stronger. He had grown in strength and in courage. She could be a test of will power, but even that help to strengthen him. He was trilled to have grown beside her. He reached for her fingertips and gently tugged her along to their shared room.  
He thought it was about time to show his wife his love for her. To show her how grateful he was that they had completed the guild hall together. He knew Natsu and Lucy played a large roll in convincing members to return, but this wouldn't have happened without her hard work. Juvia had provided him and the townsfolk with a passion to succeed. She was a natural born leader once she stepped out of her shell, and it was thanks to her that Fairy Tail was once again a home.  
As they walked down to the second floor they past team Natsu's suite. It seemed that an argument was going on.  
"Give me a second Juvia, I'll be along shortly" He said gently to his bride.  
"Gray you shouldn't interfere with them, they still need time" Juvia kindly tugged his figure tips, beckoning him to follow her.  
"I wont love, just a friendly piece of advice." He said. His resolve was clear to her. He knocked on the door loudly at least three times before Lucy answered.  
"Oh hey Gray..." Lucy said, a blush clearly visible on her cheeks. She continued.  
"You don't have to knock you know, you are a member of team Natsu after all."  
"Actually I'm not, Juvia and I teamed up together last year. Sorry guys" Gray replied.  
"Listen I don't give a shit what you two are busy fighting about, but for the love of god could you use the silence feature on the lacrima I had made for you? Because of all the dragon slayers around I had each door lacrima spelled to not allow noise outside of the room." Grey turned on his heels and left. He knew that he had over stepped, but he didn't care to hear the fight all night. He knew that with a guild this size, with so many members living under one roof that fights were bound to break out on occasion. Blocking out the noise of arguments was one of two advantages to the silence feature he had requested. The other advantage he planed to take full use of himself presently. As a married man living in a confided space with a bunch of dragon slayers a certain amount of magic was needed for decently sake.  
_  
A few minutes before hand:  
Natsu and Lucy had walked down the well lite hallway to find Team Natsu engraved onto a bright red door. They walked into their team's suite. Although it was completely undecorated it was still lovely. It held a comfy looking couch, with enough room to fit a few more. There were two large bookshelves next to a bench at the entrance. On the right side of the room stood was an entrance to an over sized kitchen. It held all the essential appliances and a four person dinning table. There was also a smaller bathroom with a stand up shower that held a washer and dryer hidden behind a well placed door.  
On the left side of the living room there were two full sized doors, and one half size door. The powder blue door was labeled in black with Lucy's name. The black door held Natsu's name written in a flaming orange. The half sized door was a solid wood and was labeled with Happy's name.  
In unison they opened the doors to their bedrooms. Lucy was thrilled to find a four post king sized bed. There was a matching dresser nearby and a walk in closet. To the back of her room was the entrance to an on suite bathroom. The restroom held a giant Jacuzzi tub, and had heated floors, and a lovely vanity next to the porcelain sink and toilet. It was every girl's dream. She knew Cancer would love the bathroom vanity. The zodiac spirt always appreciated the extra work space. As she stood appreciating all the wonder of her new home she heard a loud crash.  
"NATSU?!" What the hell was he doing in his room? Didn't he know Juvia and Gray had put a lot of time and money into building this space for them, he should show it some respect. Lucy was about to storm out of her room, to yell at him in his room, when she realized that in-between their two bedroom was a joining door. She walked over to it and opened it.  
The layout to his room was fairly similar to her own, except where she had a walk in closet, he had a grand fireplace, that had a closed door to its right. She looked around his room to find the source of all the destruction. He was underneath his own bed, pulling a few wooden slats out from underneath the bed.  
"NATSU! You idiot! What in the world do you think you're doing!?" Lucky was furiously yelling. She was suddenly so uncontrollably angry with him. Yes, he was wrecking his room, but she didn't usually yell at him to this extent. It went past annoyed friend, into full out fight voice. Her emotions seemed to be bouncing back and forth when they involved the slayer; with each passing day they seemed to get more out of control.  
"Gees Luce, calm down, I'm only taking a few" Natsu said casually while removing a few more boards.  
"Are you kidding me? You want me to Calm Down!? We've been here for less than five minutes and you're already destroying the place!"  
"Seriously Luce, I just wanted to make a fire, calm down."  
"STOP TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN!" She was getting angrier by the second. "If you opened your stupid eyes I'm sure you would find some fire wood. Juvia obviously made this room with you in mind. So stop ruining it!"  
Natsu got up from his place underneath the bed. He hadn't been upset before, but he could only take so much name calling. Didn't she realize that when she called him stupid he actually felt it? And three times in a row was just too much. His eyes darkened and a shadow overcame him. He stomped towards her, with each step he took closer she took a step further away. Once her back was to the wall he bent his knees just enough to be at eye level with her.  
"Call me stupid one more time Lucy, and see where it gets you, I dare you." His voice was such a dark growl that it would have made a dog hide in a corner.  
"BACK OFF NATSU!" Lucy screamed. She might be pined against the wall, but no way was she going down without a fight. She stood her ground and pushed against him. With her hands still on his chest there was a knock at the door.  
Natsu stepped forward again, this time he put his hands on either side of her head.  
"Come-on Lucy, you want to start calling names and being mean, you need to have a better reason." Natsu's voice hadn't changed a bit, he still sounded like he was ready for a fight. He loomed over her, and clearly wasn't ready to back down. There was as second knock at the door.  
This was a side of Natsu Lucy hadn't seen before. He was angry yes, but there wasn't a reason to fear. Lucy wasn't trapped, he placed himself in such a way that if she wanted to walk away she easily could have. However, his superior command over this fight was clear.  
His words made sense to her, he was proving that she was in the wrong. She had stormed into his room, and yelled at him, for something that was none of her business. He had clearly been hurt by her harsh words, and she unwittingly continued to insult him further. Even with the amount of anger radiating off of the two of them it was clear he was still showing huge amounts of self control.  
The anger boiling off of him causing his senses to go on high alert. He could pick up every scent she was making. Her predominate scent was anger, followed by frustration; but, it was the hint of arousal that felt like a kick to the gut. He knew he needed to back up and quickly. He couldn't let this situation get out of control.  
"Gray's at the door, go get it" He ordered her as he pushed himself off of the wall and stormed out of the room heading for the kitchen. He knew why he had gotten so angry so quickly. He was nearing stage two of the curse. A string of curses ran threw his mind. Such aggressive thoughts were definitely not for the faint of heart. He was loosing the first bits of self control. For fire dragons it was always anger that got the best of them. He didn't like that his self control was rubbing off on her, it meant that she was closer to him than he should be allowing. He hoped that the other slayers hadn't heard his argument, but the chances of that were slim at best.  
Lucy was at the door speaking with Gray. Upon hearing of the lacrima's feature he hit his head off of the wall in utter stupidity. If only he thought to look at the damn lacrima he would have noticed the silence feature. He vowed to leave it on the silent setting from this day forth. Every dragon needed their cave to be theirs alone, and privacy was of huge importance to them. He heard Lucy switch the room to silent as Gray walked away.  
Lucy turned from the door and faced the living room. She shared a brief glance with Natsu. Her expression was worth an entire conversation. It said everything he needed to know. She was sorry; she was confused by her own actions; she was disappointed in herself; she had no idea why she seemed to suddenly feel so confused and out of control around him. He noticed that she was nearing her breaking point, her tears were starting to bubble in the corner of her eyes. She turned and walked into her room.  
They hadn't even had a second to adjust to the fact that they were roommates before they had starting fighting. Lucy felt so much guilt. He was more than capable to make his own decisions. If he chose to light the whole room on fire, and sleep in a pile of ash that was none of her damn business.  
She didn't understand why she had been so moody with him lately. One minute she would be feeling shy around him, the next she was looking for a fight. She needed to take a bath and give herself a chance to think all of this through. It had been a startling realizations being attracted to her best friend, but that didn't mean that she needed to change the way she acted around him. She hoped it was just her emotions expressing feelings of abandonment she knew were bottled up from when he left her last year.  
He knocked gently at the bedroom door, letting himself into her room.  
"Luce, I'm sorry, I wont destroy the place, I promise." She nodded her head in recognition of his words.  
"Listen, I know you wont understand this, but right now everything is a bit instinctual for me, and I can't control my anger as well as I would like to, can you forgive me Luce?" That was the Natsu she always cared for. He might make mistakes, but he was always quick to own up to them, and always apologized when he felt he was in the wrong.  
"I hope I didn't scare you Lucy." He said it as he turned away. He didn't want to be the cause of her tears, but he knew other than apologize that there wasn't much he could do to fix his loss of temper. She would probably need her space before she accepted his apology.  
"I'm sorry to Natsu. I shouldn't scold you, you can do what ever you want in your room, just don't destroy the shared spaces ok?" He was surprised she had forgiven him so quickly. Maybe some of his good qualities were rubbing off on her too. He knew that her anger had been a side effect of his curse, but it wasn't like her to grant forgiveness without taking at least a few minutes to compose herself. She was always forgiving, but she usually stopped to think her decisions through.  
He approached her slowly from across the room. She still stood with her back to him, but that didn't stop him. He wrapped his arms around her torso embracing her in a shallow hug. He knew it was a bad idea to allow himself this closeness to her, but he was running fully on instinct. He needed to hold her, to feel that the fight was over, to know that she had granted him forgiveness. He needed to prove to her he was sorry, and didn't intend on repeating his uncivilised behaviour.  
As he held her in the gentle embrace he could smell the gooseberries in her hair. She always smelled like fresh berries to him, but they specific berry seemed to vary from day to day. He rested his chin on top of her head. He hadn't held her so closely in over a year, and it did his heart a world of good. His emotions seemed to unscramble themselves the longer he held her in his arms. She was his center now, and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. He knew that he was running out of time that he could safely spend beside her, but the thought didn't concern him in that moment. All that he knew in that moment was that she was in his arms at last.  
The warmth from his arms swallowed her whole. She was consumed by the fire of his touch. It felt like a warm silk blanket being wrapped around her on a cold winters night. She enjoyed every second if it, realizing for the first time how toned his muscles were. The comfort she got from his embrace was enough to quiet the war that was being waged in her mind.  
She had been fighting against herself, laying blame, and trying to explain why she had been so short tempered. With his touch to center her she no longer felt that blame was necessary. She had yelled, and it had stung him, she had apologized, and he had forgiven her. With his skin against hers it was that simple. She spun around in his grasp and looked up at his face. He was no longer filled with wrath. His eyes were vibrant and it seemed comfortable for her to be staring into them. She hadn't realized how mature his eyes were now. He seemed to have aged in the year that he had been away. Deep down she could see that he had lost all of his boyish traits and now held the maturity of a gown man.  
She had never thought of Natsu as a man before. Even with him being a year older than her he was still often thought of as one of the least mature members of Fairy Tail. However, the man staring into her soul was far from a child. He had seen loss, and accept defeat, had won victory, and had gone threw some unknown trial by fire to grown into the man that now stood before her. She stood up onto her toes so that her eyes were level with his own. She leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. She didn't know why she had kissed her best friend. She must have gotten swept away in the moment. She sucked in a gasp of shock! Than turned and tried to run away from him. Failing rather epically as his arms were still wrapped around her waist.  
With a soft grin on his face he placed his hands firmly on her hips and gently forced her to face him again. She stood staring at him trying to rapidly explain her actions. She fumbled for words. He placed his finger gently against her lips to silence her. Than slid the finger down to under her chin and gently lead her back to his lips.  
She was unprepared for the gentleness in his kiss. She was frozen, her mind a complete blank. Kissing him had been unintentional, but now that he was kissing her back she had no idea what to do.  
Logic was already lost so she chose to enjoy the moment. She moved in closer towards him. Her lips slanted against his just enough for her lips to part. His hand drifted from her chin and into her hair. Causing his tongue to delve past her parted lips into her opened mouth.  
What had started out gentle began to burn with passion. His entire body was heating, and reacting to their kiss. Running on impulses alone he continued to pursue her even though she was clearly his. He wrapped his unused hand around her waist and lifted her up into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her fingers plunged into his hair.  
He didn't know he had been walking until her back hit a wall. He ended they flaming kiss to bite along her collar bone. With a moan his body was forced to react to hers. She felt his growing arousal against her dampening self. It donned on her that all of this arousal was being caused by Natsu, not the boy she had known, but the man she just discovered.  
With a slight flex of her thighs she was able to slide gently up and down his length, causing him to harden further within his pants. He moved from her neck back to her lips and began to devour her mouth again. She didn't fight against him, but instead entangled with him. She flicked her tongue gently into his mouth, and rubbed gently along his tongue with her own. They played cat and mouse, taking turns fighting for who would catch the other.  
Natsu refused to loose the small completion, he sucked her tongue into his mouth carefully. He held her just long enough for her to admit that she had been defeated. She hadn't expected to ever allow herself to be dominated by anyone, but as he stood with her pined to the wall she knew that she wanted it. To her it was more than just being dominated, it was choosing who to grant that privilege too. To her it wasn't about him stating that he had control, it was her choosing to submit to him. It had only been millisecond but they both clearly knew she was allowing him to take charge over her. Just as she began to wonder where he was going to take this kiss he backed away.  
For a dragon control was everything, and when she submitted to him, even just for a split second he knew that he had taken control of her. He also knew that he had let it go to far. After months of debate he had chosen to not act on these desires. He knew that the more he allowed himself to fulfill his desires the more he put her at risk. He needed to stop before his instincts took over causing him to take her for his own. He wanted to, but he wasn't willing to risk her life because he lacked self control. He slowly unwound her from around his waist and placed her carefully on her bed. He removed her fingers from his hair, and kissed her delicately on the lips one last time before he spoke.  
"I shouldn't have done that Luce, I'm sorry. It wasn't fair to you." He said it in a warm voice, that was filled with regret. Before she could reply he turned on his heels and practically flew out of their suite.  
_  
From outside their shared suite he stood catching his breath. He forced himself to speak in a normal voice, knowing all the slayers could hear him. He issued his first order as Alpha Dragon.  
"Dragon slayer meeting, my office, now." He could feel the emotional response from each of his fellow dragons. Gajeel was instantly pissed off, Wendy was relieved, Laxus was more than a little confused. Cobra was down right murderous. No one was even supposed to know he was here yet. He had hidden his scent well, but there was no way to avoid the call of their alpha. Laxus and Cobra replied nearly in unison.  
"Who the fuck do you think you are giving us orders?" Laxus spoke first.  
"You can fuck right off I don't have to listen to you" Cobra added on, venom seeping from his every word.  
"That's and order" Natsu clarified "You go ahead and see if you can resist it."


	6. Chapter 6

Natsu entered the office with his team’s name on it. Along side his office were nine others. Master Makarov, and Porlyusica each had their own offices. Maka and Wakaba shared an office next to that. There seemed to be an office for every S class wizard and their team. Guildarts and Kana shared an office. Mira shared the fourth office with her siblings. While Erza and Jellal shared the fifth office. That wasn’t surprising, Natsu had already assumed that since Jellal had returned she would to join his team anyways. The new team Fullbuster had its own office, along side the Thunder God Tribe, and Team Shadow Gear. Like Team Natsu, Team Shadow Gear didn’t have an S class wizard. In actuality that was only a formality; the two older slayers were shoe ins come the next S class trials.  
The room Juvia had created for team Natsu held a large desk with a matching comfy chair. It also held a scattering of comfier looking lazy boy chairs. The desk itself was a little girly for his tastes; Juvia likely assumed Lucy was the one who would be using it.   
Natsu left the room and headed for the main dinning area. With one hand he picked up a long table and carried it up the flight of stairs into his office. He placed the table in front of his desk, creating a large T shape. He than moved the three lazy boys his office held to one side of the table he had just brought in. He left the chair behind his desk, and on top of the T shape for himself. Entering Guildarts’ office next he borrowed three more lazy boy type chairs. With Kana’s drinking, and Guildarts only home a few days of the year the missing chairs were likely to go unnoticed for some time. By placing all three of Guildarts’ chairs on the remaining side of his impromptu table his set up was complete.   
Once the seating arrangements were complete the other dragon slayers stagger into his office one after the other. Wendy practically skipped, while the others dragged their feet. It seemed like both Laxus and Cobra had tried to ignore his command as long as possible. Both of the older slayers had little success in their attempts to avoid his edict.  
“What the hell is this Natsu?” Laxus asked threw gritted teeth.   
“Ya! Who put you in charge?” Erik the poison dragon slayer demanded.  
While both second generation slayers were angry and confused, the first generation slayers knew exactly what was going on.   
Gajeel was far from impressed. A ‘fuck you’ expression was the closest thing to a greeting he had to offer his new superior.  
One of the few perks of being raised by an actual dragon was that all the first generation dragons knew what was going on. They understood that since a member of their dragon slayer circle had reached adulthood they were automatically named ruler by default. Even though Gajeel hated it, he knew that with fire dragon’s current status he had to show some restraint, and respect, until Natsu informed them all otherwise.  
Leading the way Natsu went to sit at the head of his impromptu table. Taking a seat behind his desk, he waited to speak until all the other slayers had taken their places. Wendy and Gajeel seated themselves close to him on his left and right, while Laxus and Erik took the seats farthest away at the end of the table. On the right hand side between Gajeel and Erik sat and empty chair, and on the left between Wendy and Laxus sat the other. Natsu thought to himself that Rogue and Sting would fit in well when he summoned them for an official meeting.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about, and its going to be boring for the first generation slayers. However, I promised Wendy I would answer her questions when we got to the guild, and I’m sure you have some as well Gajeel. First let’s hear the second generation slayers out than we can catch them up to speed.” Natsu stated for the group to hear.  
Erik’s question was the first of many that needed to be answered.   
“Why on all of Fiore do we have to listen to you?” The poison slayer asked him pointedly.  
“Because I am in charge now, I’ve become the King by default.” Natsu’s answer was short and precise.  
Laxus scoffed at him, clearly the title held little meaning to him. He chose not to buy into Natsu’s explanation. There had to be some better explanation. If Natsu thought that he was going to be in charge he had another thing coming. All Laxus wanted to know was what he had to do to take the job for himself.  
“Why out of all of us are you in charge Natsu? If any of us should be in command it should be the oldest!” Laxus spoke with reproach. It seemed simple to him, he was the oldest, so he should be in charge.  
“In dragon terms I am the oldest.” Natsu corrected the aggressive slayer. “A dragon’s age isn’t measured by their birthday, its measured by who hits maturity first.” Natsu knew his answer was only creating more questions, but it was a difficult concept for anyone to grasp.   
“What is that supposed to mean?” Laxus yelled while rising to his feet “I hit puberty when I was thirteen, while you were still some annoying kid. There is no way you’re more mature than me!” He had grown enraged by Natsu’s explanation.   
The once argumentative Natsu chose to again show self restraint. He paused for a minute and choice his words with care.   
“I didn’t say puberty, I said maturity. The two are different for dragons, and dragon slayers.” Natsu attempted to calmly clarify for his fellow slayer. Although the angry lightning slayer didn’t know it yet, the fire dragon slayer was his superior. Natsu had grown much wiser than any member of the guild had yet to realize. He had gained an indiscernible amount of self control in regards to his new position of authority. He had learned to take a step back more often than not, and tried to lead by example. It was normal for Natsu to use few words, but he had learnt to chose his words more carefully, in a manner meant to work with others, not create more tension.   
Cobra sat quietly trying to process the new information. The poison slayer always tried to be two steps ahead of everyone else, and his ignorance in the habits of dragons had him at a clear disadvantage. He was willing to listen and learn if it allowed him to overcome his disadvantages.   
“Natsu,” The poison slayer spoke coolly “it sounds to me like Laxus and I are missing out on some pretty critical information here, can you give us the highlights?”  
Natsu nodded his head and spoke with confidence “Laxus sit down, its going to take a minute to explain.”   
Without realizing that he had been ordered to sit, Laxus returned to his seat. Natsu began his detailed explanation of how dragons and dragon slayer hit maturity, and how that maturity related to ‘The Curse of Dragons’. To himself and the other two first generation slayers this was pre-school level information. However, it was all information the second generation slayers had never been taught, and desperately needed, as some day soon both of them would also hit maturity.   
Natsu began to speak to his fellow slayers. Choosing his role as teacher with care. He could have instructed Gajeel or Wendy to explain the whole thing to the two second generation slayers, but he wanted them to feel like equals. He decided it was wisest if he informed them about the curse, and its stages himself. 

“I have hit what is known as maturity, for dragons and dragon slayers. This means that I have begun the first stage of ‘The Curse of Dragons’. When a dragon or in this case a dragon slayer is old enough they are subjected to a curse that is considered to be a test of maturity. This is supposed to happen sometime after a dragon or dragon slayer turns twenty-three. There are some rare exceptions to that rule; like my own, but it normally occurs around the age of twenty-five.   
Myth has it that when dragons were created the gods blessed them with limitless powers, but in a twist of fate they were cursed with an inability to gain control over this power. A dragon or dragon slayer is only able to gain full control over their powers when they achieve true balance between masculinity and femininity.   
This curse is very dangerous, both for the person who is afflicted with it, and the people around them. During this curse the dragon or dragon slayer begins to loose their self control. The process starts off slowly in stage one. However, eventually the dragon or slayer reaches stage two and their powers become unruly, and overly destructive. Being in stage one always last longer than a year. The transition into stage two can take years for some, and only days for others. Once, the curse begins the dragon or dragon slayer has full access to their normally untapped powers, however they will never be able to gain full control over these powers until they have defeated the curse. The only way for a dragon to overcome the curse is to obtain a mate. This mate is supposed to be the perfect match for a dragon or slayer. The mate becomes the dragon’s other half, and allows the dragon to achieve balance between male and female.   
For dragons this process is always life or death, and it is a risk they grow up knowing they must one day take. However, for us slayer that is not the case. The process of claiming a mate is so dangerous to both the dragon slayer and their mate. Some dragon slayers have been known to never claim a mate. This is because our mates are not effected by the curse. We must decide if we want to put our mate’s life on the line in an attempt to save our own. We can choose to sacrifice our sanity in hopes of guaranteeing our mate’s safety.   
All dragon slayers who chose not to involve their mate eventually go insane; not one dragon slayer has survived the suicidal mood swings. That is why it is said a mate-less dragon slayer will never find peace in this life, and must wander in despair until their eventual death.   
There is a second part of this curse. It’s even more complicated than the first. For dragon and dragon slayers our lives are tied to that of our mates, at least for a time. This clause makes our mates both are hope for strength, and our greatest weakness. If a dragon or dragon slayer’s mate dies before they have been united the dragon will also loose its life. However, if the dragon has shared their love, and body with a partner they will have already defeated the curse, and no longer be susceptible to a joint death.”  
Gajeel interjected. “Many consider that fact to be the worst part of the curse. For a dragon to be forced into life alone. Knowing that their only mate is lost to them until they reach the next life. This loss is considered to be the driving force behind the dragon wars.”   
Natsu had done a decent job of explaining the basics of the curse to the second generations slayers. It was a lot to take in, and there was still a lot of explaining that needed to be done. However, Natsu wasn’t sure it was wise to pile them with too much information to quickly.   
While Cobra and Laxus sat silently processing all of the information they had received it was time to face Wendy and Gajeel’s questions.   
Gajeel started off with a question on formalities. Clearly Metalicana had spent as much time grilling him on proper dragon etiquette as Igneel had with spent teaching a once young Natsu.   
“Do we have to use you title in front of the guild?” There was no pouting or whining in his voice, no hint of annoyance. He understood that it was Natsu’s right as their alpha to demand as much or as little formality as he wanted.   
Natsu heartily laughed while Wendy gently smiled.   
“I think the entire guild would faint if you guys started calling me ‘Lord Natsu of the Fire Dragons’ they would all think I put you guys under a spell!” He spoke while continuing to chuckle “For now, just Natsu is fine. I don’t foresee any other branches of hierarchy coming into play yet. So there is no need for formality for some time.”   
Gajeel understood exactly what Natsu was implying. Although presently Sting and Rogue we technically under Natsu’s command, Natsu knew that in the future that was likely to change. Gajeel was impressed by the intelligence Natsu had just displayed. He had only just begun to take his seat as King, and yet he was strategizing like any alpha would. It was clear to him that the Natsu now sitting at the head of this table, teaching two senior slayers, was not the Natsu he once knew. This Natsu was showing wisdom, and tact, he was evening demonstrating restraint. These certainly were not traits a younger Natsu had ever shown.   
It occurred to the iron dragon slayer that this Natsu might actually make a really good King, if he was able to talk a particular stubborn celestial mage into spending the rest of her life with him. He hoped for the pink haired mage’s sake that neither of them were killed in the process. He knew the chances of both Natsu and Lucy surviving, at such a young age, was less than ten percent. Before he had much chance to ponder the thought Wendy pulled him back into the conversation at hand.  
“I think that not using formality will be easier on us all, especially since none of the other guild members know about this.” She spoke with a lovely tone in her voice.   
Natsu could tell by her expression that she was clearly waiting her turn to ask the questions he had promised to answer. However, before she had the chance to speak again Gajeel asked another important question.  
“Have you decided on who your second will be?”   
The more knowledgeable dragon slayers knew that being named second was not only an honour, but a huge responsibility. The second would have to fight by the King’s side no matter what, and was never allowed to make a challenge for the title of King or Queen. The only time a second didn’t have to fight by the King or Queen’s side was in one on one combat. Often the second strongest dragon was named second to both presented a united front, and assured that a capable successor was available if the Alpha were to die.   
“I have,” Natsu began to speak. However, he was interrupted by a snarling Laxus.   
Laxus had been sitting for over half an hour. When Natsu lifted his command to remain seated Laxus seized the opportunity and jumped up.   
“NO!!” Laxus shouted, ‘Fuck all of this’ he thought to himself.   
“No way I am going to follow some snot noised brat who thinks he can wear daddy’s pants. I don’t care if I haven’t reached your bullshit maturity thing. If anyone is going to be in charge, its going to be me. I want a fight, right now! I’ve kicked your ass before and I’ll do it again. Bring it on Natsu.”  
Standard dragon protocol made it clear that Laxus had no grounds to issue a challenge. As king he was under no obligation to humour the challenge until Laxus reached adulthood. Nonetheless, Natsu had been itching for a fight. He knew that a display of power was going to be necessary to gain Laxus and Erik’s respect, possibly even Gajeel’s respect too. Laxus had just insulted him, and questioned his authority again. It was only right that he be put in his place by the alpha. Natsu wanted all the dragons to see first hand what a challenge would bring them.  
“Laxus if you think you can take me now, then you’re a bigger idiot than I thought. I’m not some snot noised little kid. I’ve grown this past year in ways you can’t image. You have no idea what its like to feel this way; to know you might kill someone that you care for, or die in the process. You don’t know what its like to have this burden looming over your head. This is nearly a decade sooner than its supposed to. I’m going to be lucky if I come out of this alive, hell right now I’m already lucky to be alive; to be able to access all of this power without it killing me in the process. Yes, I’m too young, and I may have only been away for a year, but I’m more of a man now than you’ve ever been. If you want a fight you’ve got it. I’ve been waiting to kick your ass since we were kids.” Natsu’s voice was like venom, his adrenaline was pumping and his senses were going into overdrive.   
With the challenge accepted the group of dragons headed out of the slayers office towards the magically lined sparing ring at the bottom of the stair case. Natsu reached the sparing ring first. It was currently occupied by Jet and Dory who were practising some odd fighting stances.   
Jet was about to tell them off and suggest they take it outside. However, upon seeing the murderous look in Natsu’s eyes he realize that talking would only put him in the cross fire. Jet nodded to Dory, and the two cleared the ring in a hurry. 

_________  
When Mira realized that Laxus was stepping into the ring, she made a gasped ‘oh my’ sound. She hadn’t seen Laxus willing spar with anyone since they were kids. She of course knew about the Fantasia attack, though, that hadn’t been sparing that was a power play. This time it seemed Laxus was actually choosing to try and solve the problem with a healthy fight. The notion gave her a sense of peace. She preferred this much more than the Laxus who would refuse to interact with his own guild mates.   
“I wonder what Natsu’s done to upset Laxus?” Mira asked Kana. They both knew that Natsu had been nagging Laxus for a rematch since Fantasia, and until now Laxus had always refused him. Although Fantasia had gained Natsu recognition from the lightning slayer, Laxus still didn’t view the fire dragon slayer as an equal. The white haired bartender wonder what could have happened to change Laxus’ opinion. As far as she knew, other than the meeting they had just held in Natsu’s office the two hadn’t even seen each other since the Tartarus attack.  
‘Maybe Laxus thinks Natsu had gotten strong enough to be worth his time now?” Kana said in a questioning tone. It was clear that both girls doubted Natsu stood a change against the man who had defeated Jura the wizard saint.  
The crowd shifted its attention towards the two fighters. As the fighters began to square off the other slayers filtered down the stairs and began to circle the sparing ring. Each one taking an equal space around the ring creating a secondary protective barrier. Each slayer knew that if they used even a hint of magic they would be forced into the sparing space, and that was a taboo.   
Creating a safety net around the fighting ring was a way of protecting the fight itself. For dragons a challenge against the Alpha was considered a sacred ritual. It was instinct to protect the fight so that no one could interfere with the challenge. The three slayers turned their backs to the two fighters and stood facing the forming crowd.   
In Fairy Tail a fight was usually a free for all. When the strongest fighters began to fight others would always want to join in. This usually resulted in the whole situation growing out of control, and never allowed a clear victor to emerge. The sky, poison and iron dragon slayers stood down the crowd. They ensured no other competitors could enter the ring.  
Elfman tried to get in on the soon to be brawl, but Wendy blocked his path. Mira was shocked that their little Wendy Marvel stood up to the much larger Elfman. Especially since Elfman was in his strongest beast mode. Mira had anticipated the shy girl to move out of the way and allow her brother into the fighting ring. However, Wendy stood strongly, instinct contorting her facial expressions into a seething anger.   
“You aren’t allowed into this fight Elfman Strauss.” The little blue haired girl spoke with a seriousness no one had heard from her before. The usually sweet and gentle girl was acting completely out of character. Shocking not only Elfman and Mira, but nearly all of Fairy Tail.  
“Wendy! What are you doing? Move aside and left Elfman into the ring.” Mira instructed the little sky maiden.   
“Elfman is not allowed into the fighting ring. If he would like a fight, he may fight me.” Wendy’s reply was cold, and unwavering.  
“Gajeel would you tell Wendy to move?” Mira asked the older slayer, surely he had some sense in him.  
“Tell the big brute to sit his ass down or fight the sky maiden.” Gajeel said it with a face of stone. He hadn’t even moved from his position. It was very unlike him to leave Wendy undefended against such a larger opponent. Although Mira was confused by the actions of the resident dragon slayers she gently tugged her brother’s arms and urged him to sit.   
What Mira didn’t know was the that the little sky maiden had become much stronger. With a year of training under her belt, and not having Grandeeney her holding her back, little Wendy Marvel was now one of Fairy Tail’s strongest fighters. Gajeel knew Wendy was more than capable of fighting the larger Elfman. In fact, he was certain that the largest Strauss didn’t stand a chance against the little girl any more.   
Gajeel knew that each first and third generation dragon slayer had grown equal to, or greater than the strength Laxus had demonstrated during the Grand Magic Games of last year. Since none of the first and third generation dragon slayers were being held back by the presence of their parent’s souls they were infinitely more powerful than their guild mates knew. Gajeel knew that feeling lose had an away of holding some back, and the freedom of a goodbye had given them all room to grow.   
If Gajeel had stepped in to defend the little sky dragon slayer he would have officially insulted her pride. It was against protocol to back up any slayer in one on one combat. It was Wendy’s duty to defend her sector of the ring. Wendy had issues a challenge against Elfman, and it was her responsibility for follow threw on that threat if need be. Thanks to Wendy’s bravery all the other guild members chose to take seats nearby. As everyone got seated, Gajeel flagged Kana over to place a 500 jewel bet on Natsu.  
From the distant Levy noticed the twinkle in his eyes. She had no idea what was going on with the iron dragon slayer, but she planned on finding out when the time was right. He was acting strangely. Normally he would have joined the fight himself instead he stood like a body guard protecting the sparing ring from intruders.  
Levy realized that he had always loved to gamble, and seeing him place his bet was no surprise. However, seeing him bet on Natsu was. Dragon slayers had an uncanny ability to read others, and since Gajeel had joined Natsu in the previous fight against Laxus he knew the strength that Natsu was up against first hand. Gajeel must have known something was up, otherwise, he would not have bet on Natsu to win. She originally doubted her thoughts, but with the twinkle of mischief in his eyes she was convinced.   
She casually approached Kana and placed 100 jewel bet on Natsu to win. The fight was about to start so she grabbed a plate of food from the open buffet table and sat down to watch the show.  
_____________________  
Where Natsu had once been cocky and overly boastful. He now stood quiet and confident. Although he hadn’t finished talking to the slayers about the situation between him and Lucy, and about his responsibilities as Alpha, this fight was too good of an opportunity to turn down.   
He wished that Lucy was here to see him display his new strengths. Even though she had seen a small display of his powers at the grand magic games it didn’t seem as interesting as this did. This time he wouldn’t have to hold back so much.   
His adrenaline was pumping and his muscles began to subtly shift into the ready position. This was the perfect chance for him to flex his muscles, and maybe fit in a good work out.   
Laxus on the other hand was trying to force himself to focus. He didn’t understand all of the information he had just received. He tried to shove it down, and focus on the battle about to take place. He was eager to beat the shit out of Natsu. He would do just about anything to prove he didn’t have to follow the little brat’s orders. Natsu had pissed him off, and he wanted to prove he was his own man. He had never been one for following orders, and he wasn’t going to let this situation change that.   
Laxus shouted loudly above the noise of the crowd surrounding them.  
“Freed! Do us all a favour and reinforce this barrier of yours. I don’t want to have to hold back to keep this building safe.” His boastful statement didn’t even gather a response from Natsu. He thought to himself that Natsu’s behaviour was very strange. Usually the little runt was a pest; always yelling about how he wasn’t going to loss. This time Natsu stood silent, and grinned at Laxus. ‘I’m not going to let his mind games get to me’, Laxus thought to himself.   
Freed followed the commands of his team leader and added an entire second protective layer to the sparing ring. The first layer alone should have been capable of containing Laxus’s power but extra precautions never hurt.  
With the ring reinforced Natsu decided it was time to show off a little. One of the new talents he had learnt was control over his dragon force, and lightning fire dragon mode. Within a second he blinked into his lightning fire dragon mode and prepared for the onslaught of attacks his opponent was sure to throw his way. This lightning fire dragon mode was similar to his dragon force, but not as strong. It allowed him to lace all of his attacks with lighting, but more importantly it also allowed him to eat lightning with ease.   
Laxus thought that the decision to use lighting fire dragon mode had been a stupid one. Didn’t the idiot know that with his every attack he would be giving Laxus lighting to consume, which would only strengthen Laxus even further. Instead of informing Natsu of his seemingly idiotic choice he charged in at full strength. He planned to end this fight in a flash, literally. Laxus turned himself into a bolt of lighting and directed the attack at the pink haired mage.   
His strength was at full force which would fry any opponent to a crisp, that is, if their defences weren’t high enough. For a normal mage the force of this attack would have been enough to kill. However, Laxus knew that because Natsu was in his lightning fire dragon mode the attack would most likely only knock him unconscious.   
While in mid air, Laxus aimed his lighting attack for the back of the fire mage. Before he could land his well placed attack Natsu turning into a bolt of lightning laced with fire and zapped to the other side of the sparing ring. Laxus landed on his feet exactly where Natsu had just been standing. The sly grin on the cocky little bastards face only angered Laxus more. He roared into the rooftop.   
“What was that Natsu! You’re stealing my magic now!” He was even more furious than before! That move was one of his best attacks, it took him years to master. Has the little brat really figured it out in the course of a couple months?  
“You think that’s neat, you should see the improvements I made” Natsu retorted with bravado.   
Laxus’s self control failed him, he became consumed with rage. He threw witty banter out the widow and started attacking without restraint. Using his impressive speed, he accelerated towards his adversary. Slamming his lightning covered fists into his opponent’s side several times before seeing the reaction his attacks received.   
Although Natsu took the brunt force of the blows, his body remained unaffected by the lightning each first was engulfed in. Natsu stood silently watching the onslaught to his ribs, without even making an attempt to defend himself. Instead of shielding himself from the attack he remained still. His skin seemed to lap at the lightning, absorbing each bolt as it made contact.   
Laxus took a step back, trying to process the new information. Was his magic having no affect on the mage who grew up under his foot? It couldn’t be possible, could it? Natsu had never stood a chance against him in the past. The last time they had fought it took both him and Gajeel against him to reach a tie. Now the fire dragon slayer seemed unaffected by the powerful lightning attacks Laxus was throwing at him.  
Laxus dropped his defenses in a state of shock, however, Natsu chose not to attack. The new ruler didn’t want a knock out defeat. He wanted his opponent to know that he had been beaten. He needed to hear the surrender from Laxus’s own lips. Leaving no room for Laxus or the other slayers to doubt his strength as the King.   
Natsu casually walked along the ropes of the sparing ring. He chose to go at a regular pace, making it clear to the crowd that he didn’t need to rush in for the cheap shot. When the lightning slayer gathered his barring’s again, the fire dragon slayer was standing in a relaxed position several feet away. ‘Did he use his speed? Or did I loose my focus?’ Laxus wondered to himself. 

“What is going on here Gajeel?” Levy whispered. Her voice was unnoticeable amongst the cheers of her guild, but she knew that he would hear her. Gajeel’s attention turned from the crowd, to the blue haired beauty who had called his name. He subtly winked at her, assuring her that everything was alright. She knew by his expression that she would get an explanation when he was ready to giver her it, possibly sooner if she insisted. Gajeel reluctantly returned to his position as body guard. Now that the guild members had all taken seats, and the fight had begun protection over the fight was rather unnecessary.  
In a voice so deep that only his fellow slayers could hear him Natsu whispered:   
“You’ve all made your point, Gajeel, Wendy, Erik, you can turn and watch the fight if you please. Erik if you don’t like what you see you can challenge me next.” The three slayers nodded their heads in recognition of his words. They chose to turn and watch the fight, it was nearly impossible not to. Seeing Laxus fight was a rarity, and the idea of learning about Natsu’s new strengths was barely resistible.   
Once Natsu had the attention of his subordinated he decided it was time to put on a real show. Jumping into mid air he shouted for all to hear.   
“Black lightning fire dragon firing hammer!” He pulled both of his hands from behind him into an interweaved fist, charging them with a combination of fire and black lightning. Once his jump started to descend, he aimed the attack directly at Laxus and fired it. The storm of winding fire and black lighting went straight for Laxus head.   
With the experience only a lightning wielder could posses Laxus placed his left hand above his head and right hand towards the floor. The lightning dragon slayer planned to redirect the lightning attack into the floor, and take the brunt of the fire attack with his defensive stance to protect him.   
As the attack hit home the black lighting traveled along him and into the floor, however not without leaving its mark. Black lightning is far stronger than typical yellow lightning, and that meant Laxus’s body wasn’t fully capable of redirecting the strength of the attack into the floor. Laxus also misjudged the amount of fire Natsu had intertwined with the bolts. Taking the powerful hit threw his arm and into his body sent him rolling too the floor. Natsu landed from his acrobatic jump, and stood where most of his lightning had hit the floor. He waited patiently for Laxus to regain his footing, and return to a battle stance. While laying on the floor Laxus took a large breath in, and jump to his feet. Launching himself into a forward dive, he sent a full force lightning dragon roar at Natsu.   
Natsu used his new speed, and easily dodged the attack. He ended his movement directly behind the lightning slayer’s back. As a display of force he whispered in a near growl to his challenger.  
“You don’t stand a chance Laxus.” As he spoke he turned into a black lightning bolt and flashed to the other side of the fighting area.   
Laxus was visibly shaken, he stood for a second to plan his next attack. His usual strategy was to fight defensively and let his opponent tire themselves out. However, it seemed this time it was the other way around. Natsu was toying with him, showing off his new skills in the process. So far out of all the attacks he had thrown only one had landed and it hadn’t done any real damage to his rival. Natsu on the other hand had only directed one attack at him, and it was enough to bring him to his knees.  
Laxus looked around and realized that most of the guild was watching their fight in disbelief. Everyone knew that Laxus had already beaten a wizard saint, that he was possibly the strongest member of their guild aside from Guildarts. To see him struggling, and barely able to land a hit spoke volumes. Just as realization donned on him, Natsu whispered one final threat to the slayer. He could have spoken for the guild to hear, but he wasn’t bragging for the attention; he spoke in a voice for slayer’s ears alone.  
“Last chance Laxus give me your best, after this one I’m taking you down.” Natsu knew that he was being boastful and it wasn’t his style anymore. He had learnt self control, and preferred to only use his words as a means to increase confidence, not to mock a fellow guild member (unless it was the ice freak). This however was an exemption to the rule; he needed Laxus to know he was beaten, he needed to state his dominancy in a way that wouldn’t be challenged later.   
With ever passing second he was proving he was now the oldest, the strongest, the wises, the alpha, the King. He could tell that all his other slayers were watching his display, and processing the message he was sending. His plan was paying off, but he’d prefer to do it in a way that would save his lightning slayer as much dignity as possible.   
Laxus decided now was the time to play his trump card. If he didn’t use it now, the fight would be lost. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a few dozen Thunder Palace lacrimas. He always kept them with him, in his large coat pockets. Although, this wasn’t the type of circumstance that he would usually use them, it seemed he had no other choice. It was his strongest offensive and defensive plan.   
A single lacrima was strong enough to take down a regular strength mage, he held over 30 in his fists. In one sweeping motion he littered the floor with the lacrimas. As Natsu processed the defensive movement he magically linked all of the lacrimas together. Once a single lacrima was triggered they would all direct their energy at the intended target. He had made each lacrima so that they couldn’t be accidently triggered by himself, or any of the members of the Thunder God Tribe.   
Natsu nodded in recognition of his attacker’s plan. Laxus wisely set up a defensive barrier to stop Natsu from pressing his attack, the next step would be a lightning dragon brilliant flame. The attack was meant to force Natsu to loose his balance, with his balance lost Laxus would transport behind him, and force him into falling on the lacrima. Laxus’s plan was to knock Natsu unconscious and win the fight before Natsu had a chance to land another attack. It was a solid plan, however Laxus had gravely underestimated Natsu’s strength once more.   
Before Laxus could begin his brilliant flame attack Natsu turned off his lightning fire dragon mode, and returned to his simple fire dragon from. He took three steps forward walking straight into the full force of the Thunder Palace.   
All of the lacrimas fired off like a chain of dominos, each one triggering another. Natsu simply walked into them. The lightning bolts rolled off of him, completely nullified by his overwhelming strength.   
Laxus realized that his defensive plan had failed him. He turned into his lightning body form, to zap across the area and avoid the inevitable attack from Natsu. Natsu saw his retreat and turned himself into a gigantic orange flame. The others didn’t know that he had gained an elemental form. It allowed him to take flight, and burn across the sky as a giant ball of flame. Natsu chased after Laxus he looked like a meteor sweeping across the night sky. The chase became a blur, with an oversized fame and lightning bolt zapping around the arena like trapped bugs inside a jar.  
The guild members drew closer to the arena trying to discern who was winning this fight. It seemed like the flame was chasing the lightning bolt. The bolt flew across the center of the ring while the flame collided with it mid stream. Natsu and Laxus headed for the ground, both of them were forced out of their elemental states from the force of mid air impact. Laxus landed first in a tumble rolling to the side of the ring, while Natsu controlled his trajectory and fluidity landed on top of his challengers back. He had Laxus’s shoulder pinned to the floor with his flaming knees. Natsu’s position clearly stated his domination over the lightning slayer bellow.   
“Do you rescind your challenge?” Natsu spoke threw gritted teeth. In an octave so low no human ear was capable of hearing it. The elemental fighting had caused him to loose a majority of his self control. His anger was flaring and he knew that he would need to flee to the outdoors shorty. He growled to the slayer below him, for an instant he was more dragon than human. His powers reached a murderous level, he needed an answer before the last remanence of his control slipped.   
Natsu noticed that his temperature was hitting boiling point and he began shifting into his elemental state again. He saw his Lucy enter the main eating area, her presence a mild distraction from his loss of control.  
“Yes...” Laxus grumbled at the slayer above him.   
“Yes what?” Natsu pushed further into the lightning slayers back.  
“Yes, I rescind my challenge.” He spat at the slayer. Natsu loosened the pressure on his back, and stood above him. Laxus flipped to his back and refused the hand Natsu offered to help him to his feet. He stood, and left the sparing ring, heading to the bar for a stiff drink.  
Natsu wanted to rush to Lucy, but he knew it wasn’t safe. He shifted into his human form long enough to exit Freed’s barriers, then flickered back into his elemental form. His self control was wavering, and it wouldn’t take much for him to burn the entire town down. With a running start he flew threw the air like a meteorite, up the long staircase leading outside.   
Once he reached the surface he shifted into his dragon force. He had been holding back this force since the fight began. He wanted to win, but not at the cost of endangering others. Although Freed’s enchantments were strong, he wasn’t sure the spell could hold his dragon force within it.   
There was one other reason he had held his dragon force back. Being in his dragon force meant that he was running entirely on impulse. He was fairly sure he couldn’t be near Lucy in this state. He feared that if he got to close the dragon side of himself might lose control, and he didn’t know what he would do to her. With his sensed still on red alert, he noticed that the women he wanted to pursue was racing up the stairs after him. She reached the surface, but there was nothing to do but watch. Natsu finished shifting into a bolt of lightning and disappeared into the sky.


	7. Chapter 7

As Lucy watched Natsu take off into the sky she thought about how exhausting her day had been thus far. She had been forced to confront some of her feelings for him. Just went she was beginning to feel comfortable with the idea of being attracted to him, he had abandoned her. She wasn’t sure why his leaving her had upset her so much, perhaps it was because she wasn’t prepared to feel this way about him, or maybe it was that she felt rejected by his sudden apology and disappearance. 

In the end, she was left, aroused and alone in her bedroom. His attempts to comfort her after their earlier argument had only confused her further. She now knew, that to some leave Natsu was attracted to her. Even with his sudden absence it was clear that there was some kind of chemistry between them. However, she didn’t know why he had run away. Why he apologized for they heated kiss. The kiss itself had stirred feelings inside of her that she had never known existed. She was excited, and anxious, and completely dumbfounded that he was the one to cause them all. 

She didn’t understand why Natsu was avoiding her. Yes, she had been harsh and mean, but she had also apologized, and he had granted her forgiveness. She thought that the fight itself was behind them, leaving the reason for his exit a mystery. It's not like she had seduced him while he was in a relationship with someone else. She hadn’t forced herself onto him and taken advantage of his startled position either. All she had done was place one innocent kiss on his lips, and once she realized what she had done she instantly realized the overstep and tried run away. But then out of nowhere he had kissed her. It hadn’t been the type of kiss that happens accidently, he deliberately pulled her back, and gently fondled her lips with his own. He had been the one to pull her back, and to deepen the kiss so sweetly. He had started off gentle, and then became desperate with want for her. It confused her when he went from assertive, and demanding to cold and unwanting. He had suddenly run from her like she was contagious. The feeling of his loss left her cold, and confused. She didn’t understand why he had kissed her, why he had pulled her back into him. If he hadn’t wanted to kiss her, then he should have just let her run away. The dark cloud of emotions had been circling her all day, and she stayed in her room for a majority of the day, too depressed to even cry. 

Her emotions were a complete mess, and she felt like she might burst into tears of hurt, or flames of anger at any moment. Why in all of Fiore did Natsu keep abandoning her? He had left her without goodbye a year ago. He had run from her when he had kissed her this morning, and just now he flew from her in a ball of fire when she had tried to talk to him about it. She was growing sick of his disappearing act.   
Was it possible that Natsu just didn’t want her? Maybe he was just some lecherous teenage boy who wanted to ease the pain between his legs, then realizing who he was kissing he would retreat with guilt. He had left her with an apology, so it seemed this was the most likely situation. Maybe he knew he was a screw up for pouncing on his teammate and was trying to avoid her so he didn’t repeat the mistake.   
Standing in the open field surrounded by outdoor sparing rings, Lucy decided she needed to blow off some steam before she went insane. She didn’t want to take her bad attitude out on her friends, and a bit of fighting would leave her tired enough that she would likely become placid. 

She walked over to the nearest sparing ring, it was the one that was the most heavily covered in protective barriers. Once she completed some minor stretched Lucy pulled out one of her most powerful keys. The key belonging to Gemini gleamed gold in the sunshine. She called forth the two spirits from the spirit realm welcoming Mini and Gemi with small hugs. Their hellos complete she began her instructions.  
“Its time we start some training again guys, are you ready for this?”   
Both Spirits nodded their heads and shifted into their Lucy form. As Gemi and Mini called forth Loki, Lucy called on Capricorn. Everyone exchanged greetings, Loki titled his head to the side, to silently question if Lucy was ok, she made an awkward smile and shifted her should. It indicated to him that although she had been better, she was doing alright, and really didn’t want the extra attention right now.   
They began to practice their fighting skills, Lucy against Loki, and Capricorn against Lucy form Gemini. Lucy shifted into her Capricorn form granting herself both extra strength and agility. This form was the easiest one for her practice hand to hand combat in. She knew that by working on her combat skills she would burn off some steam, and hopefully regain control over her storming emotions. 

As Lucy and Capricorn stood side by side, fighting against her spirits Natsu returned from his venting session. He had returned to the other side of Magnolia, and headed for their guild by jumping along the rooftops. As he grew closer he saw her fighting against herself. He could tell by the look in her eyes alone, which one was the real Lucy. He sat on top of a nearby church's rooftop to watch her as she practiced her magic. His fantastic vision allowing him to watch his favorite celestial wizard in her finest. She was covered in dirt and sweat, but she shone with determination. She had always loved spending time with her spirits, and she learned best with them at her side. She was single-handedly keeping two powerful gates open at once while engaging in a difficult combat. He could tell that she was enjoying every second of it. 

From the distance, he heard her issued a new order to Gemini. With a nod, Gemini closed Loki’s gate and shifted forms into Bacchus the drunken master. He was a strong and powerful wizard and was known to be one of the best hand to hand fighters around. Natsu didn’t know when Gemini had had a chance to make a copy of Bacchus, but it must have been within the last year. The real Lucy summoned Loki to her side, joining herself and Capricorn. Together Lucy and her two spirits fought again the drunken master’s clone. Lucy was tiring some, as her attacks were lagging slightly. It seemed like Bacchus was going to win until Lucy began chanting a spell, both Capricorn and Loki were positioned in front of her to defend her position. Natsu thought to himself that Lucy’s magical power must have improved even more for her to be able to keep three gates open at once, fight in combat, and use spells all at once. Natsu didn’t recognize the spell, but whatever it was, it was enough to render Bacchus unconscious, and send Gemini back to the spirit world. Lucy jumped and cheered hugging her two spirits in triumph. Loki got to close for Natsu's comfort, whispering into Lucy’s ear. 

If it wasn’t for his spectacular hearing Natsu wouldn’t have heard the lecherous request Loki had whispered into Lucy's ear. 

“Call me to your room Ok babe?” He asked of her. Lucy nodded her head and thanked both of her spirits for their presence. Once they had returned to the spirit realm Lucy turned on her heels and headed for her bedroom. 

She arrived at her suite and decided a quick shower was needed to wash off all of the grime she had collected. Afterward, she would summon Loki to her side like he had requested. It was more than a little likely that he wanted to check on her, and make sure she was ok. She washed herself off quickly and exited the still running shower, she wrapped a towel around her torso and leaned over the faucet to shut it off. With her top half knelt over the bath tub, her trump spirit puffed into existence directly behind her. 

“Hey, they Gorgeous!” Loki spoke while looking her up and down. He was always such a pervert, but it was just another name to add to the list around here.

Before Lucy knew what was happening an enraged fire dragon slayer completely engulfed in flames barrel into her bathroom and had Loki pinned to the wall by his throat. 

“Listen up you perverted Lion, you stay the fuck away from my Lucy, or I swear to Mavis I’ll mount your main on my wall!” the inflamed Natsu shouted into Loki’s ear. Loki was sweating bullets, both from fear of the dragon slayer at his throat and from the indescribable heat that threatened to melt the entire bathroom. He hadn’t known why Natsu had suddenly decided that he wasn’t allowed near Lucy. They had been a team for over two years, and Natsu never seemed to mind him before. Realizing that he had clearly missed something, and not wanting to get into a fight with a fellow guildmate Loki stayed still to avoid further escalating the situation.

“NATSU!! What do you think you're doing!! You can’t tell MY spirit he isn’t allowed to be around me!! Put Loki Down NOW!” Lucy was yelling at him, as she yelled she grabbed the still running shower head off of its rest and pointed it at the slayer. The water made a hissing sound as it instantly evaporated against Natsu’s on fire skin. The room began to fill with steam as Natsu’s fire slowly went out. 

“Princess, I will return another time” Loki seized the opening his celestial wizard had created and puffed out of the room before Natsu had a chance to stop him. 

The room had become filled with steam, and the moister in the air dampened Lucy’s towel. Although his flames were put out, the anger was escalating as every second ticked by.

“What the hell Natsu!!?? You ditch me in a ball of fire, then return the exact same way and threaten my spirit!! Tell me exactly Where the hell do you get off calling me YOUR Lucy??”

Lucy was so aggravated by the dragon slayers actions that she hadn’t realized her words were doing more harm than good. She was trying to make a point that he was acting like a lunatic, but instead she was only egging him on further. Her aggressive behavior was only causing the dragon slayer to loose control over himself even further.   
Natsu crouched into a low stance, his skin began to take on a dragon like quality. His eyes slit into that of a dragon, and his speech was more growl than voice.

“You ARE mine, Lucy, HE had no RIGHT to touch you!! And YOU can't just invite spirits to join your showers! You are lucky I didn’t KILL the fucking lion for putting his paws on you!” 

“LIKE HELL I AM! It’s none of your damn business where I summon my spirits, and HE didn’t touch me, which is more than I can say for you. Mark my words Natsu, if you so much as THINK about hurting any of my spirits I’LL MAKE you PAY!” Her ferocity matched his own. She was giving just as good as she got, and was drawing nearer to him with every threat she issued. 

Her threat fell on deaf ears. The only part of her entire statement Natsu had heard was the part where she denied him possession over her. Just early today she had submitted to his touch, and yet now she stood in front of him and denied him any claim he could make on her. His rage hit a new level and he growled at her. His skin began to shift into dragon scales, and his fists returned to flames without his knowledge.

“I'm going to make you pay for that Lucy.” He snarled at her.  
“Not a chance in hell Natsu Dragneel,” Lucy screamed at him.  
“Take it back Lucy!” Natsu ordered her to submit to him.  
“I will never take it back! I DON’T BELONG TO YOU!” She spat it at him, refusing to let him think he had any claim on her because of one passionate kiss. 

“Prove it!” Natsu roared as he towered above her.   
“FINE!” Lucy shouted. She attempted to storm past the dragon slayer and exit the bathroom. However, he stood blocking her path, like a cat playing with a mouse he refused to allow her out of his grasp.   
“NATSU LET ME THROUGH!” Her voice began to resemble a dragon, it was a tone neither of them had heard exit out of her soft lips. A fierce growl escaped her and attacked his ears, warning him that her patience was about to break. She pushed her body against his chest trying to force her way past the fire dragon slayer. 

The enraged dragon slayer slid his body against hers both as a threatening gesture and as an arousing statement of dominance. The intimate contact caught her off guard, how was he able to both anger her to the point of sanity and arouse her with a simple gesture of his body against her own. Still in his dragon-like state, his eyes wandered over her body. She placed her hands on his pectorals and tried to push him out of her way. The situation had changed from angered to heated, and she needed to leave before her vulnerability to his touch got the better of her.

With a speed that is only achievable for a dragon slayer, Natsu had both of her wrists pinned above her head and her back to the wall. The back of the hand that was holder her in place was inflamed. However, without his knowledge, the fire retreated from every inch of his skin that touched her. 

“Natsu, what in Mavis’s Name do you think you're doing!?”   
“I’m going to make you want to be mine,” he snarled at her. With his intentions clearly displayed, he compelled his lips onto hers. Forcing her lips apart with his own he began to consume her mouth with his tongue.

To him, she tasted like burning sunshine. Her taste was more alive than any fire he had ever eaten. He moaned into her mouth and tried to entice her to join in the warmth of his passion. He wanted her to get as lost in him, as he was currently lost in her. For Natsu in that moment, there was nothing else. His anger wavered, and the fire surrounding his fists went out.

With the heat of his body against hers, and her mouth being controlled by his own she slipped into a daze. Her arousal overcame her anger and she began to kiss him back. She sighed in contentment postponing her struggle against him temporarily. This kiss hadn’t been like their first. It hadn’t been gentle and building. It was an assault on her senses, taking every inch of her self-control to both allow the kiss and not be consumed by it. She was struggling to keep herself afloat, but there was a chance she might escape if could hold her ground for another moment. 

Once he noticed the slack in her arms he released her wrist and slid his hands down the wall. Placing one hand on the small of her back, the other moved to cup the back of her neck. She tensed in an instant and tried to shove him away once more. He had distracted her from her escape, but her logic began to win out over desire. 

“Natsu you can’t keep doing this! I’m not some play thing for you!” Her voice was laced with anger, and rejection. He had left her high and dry once already today and she didn’t plan on repeating the experience.  
“You are more than just a toy to me Luce, you’re mine, and we dragons always hoard our treasures.” He spoke with confidence, his voice deep and raspy.

“I don’t belong to you Natsu.” It was a statement, not an argument. She was her own women, and he held no claim to her, especially since she hadn’t agreed to grant him any such claim.

“Maybe not yet, but you will.” His breath washed over her face, and his eyes were filled with the fires of desire.

He lowered his mouth to hers once more and lavishly kissed her. Their kiss became a battle; each partner was displaying their emotions in a beautiful display of heated passion. She had never experienced such a kiss before. It was a power struggle and a caress. He was trying to coax her into submission yet she refused. She fought his advances at every turn. He kissed her, but he wasn’t able to overpower her. She was not going to allow herself to be conquered by him. She was enraptured by her desire, and unable to deny herself the pleasure of their mouths massaging one another, yet she fought to gain dominance with her every movement. 

Deciding to take the assertive role for once, she smoothly slid her body along his, causing him to groan when her thigh rubbed against his swollen shaft. She took some initiative and began to slide the vest he wore off his shoulders. She carefully massaged her fingers into his shoulders and began to trail her hands down his front. She then rubbed her hands down his tight abdominals. He shivered slightly at the new sensation. He had never felt anyone touch his muscles so tenderly. He often left his core exposed for the world to see, as a way of keeping his internal temperature down, but not once had women stopped to touch him so intimately. His thoughts were lost for a moment, but she pulled him back to the present when her fingers gingerly played with the tie of his pants. She cautiously dipped her fingers just below his beltline, only to pop back out and return to his tightly wound core. 

The voice in Natsu’s head was screaming at him to turn and run away, but it was impossible for him to leave her now. She had completely bewitched him, both with her challenging nature and unrelenting stubbornness. He was helpless to fight off her advances, to lost in the splendor of each sensation she granted him. 

She slid her back down the length of the tiled wall and landed gently on her knees. With a look of complete defiance, she began to untie his pants. With a quick movement, she slid the remainder of his clothing off of him, causing them to pool on the floor. He was left in nothing but the scarf his father had given him. She was finally able to look at him and see all the wonders his body held. His size was shocking. He was swollen with excitement and bobbed ever so slightly in response to her gaze.

Natsu wasn’t completely aware, but for Lucy, this wasn’t her first endeavor with an unclothed man. She had gained some new life experiences while modeling for sorceress weekly. She had learnt about what some men were like, and how to treat them well. To her, the size was less important than the skill her partner posed, however with Natsu she hoped it would be a two for one package. His member was girthy, and his length was intimidating. She knew she wouldn’t be able to fit even half of him in her mouth, and the idea of fitting all of him elsewhere made her swallow in hesitation. 

It had been lonely living in Crocus for a year, with no family, and she had begun to date more seriously in the hope of quenching that loneliness. With her previous lover they had needed to choose their positions wisely in order to achieve as much depth as possible, but with Natsu, she was guaranteed never to have that problem. 

She had never seen a man so large, and that included all the shared changing rooms at the modeling studio. She hoped having him within her wouldn’t hurt like it had the first time a man had taken her to bed. With her nerves begin to grow she steadied herself against them, and smiled up at him before gingerly stroking his length from top to bottom with one fingertip.

She was going to draw this out for him, and make sure he enjoyed himself along the way. She didn’t know where his experience level was at, but from the way that he kissed her she assumed he too had spent his year away learning about the opposite sex. Nonetheless, she was going to prove herself able to rival any lover he may have taken before. She summoned up her courage and began licking his length with her pointed tongue, she started at the underside of his base, then flattened her tongue and drew it along him until it reached the tip. 

Natsu had never felt anything so splendid in his entire life. He was incapable of controlling the moaning that rasped through his lips. He knees buckled ever so slightly forcing his erection closer to her. 

She breathed a gentle breath onto his apex before sliding her tongue in a circular motion covering ever inch of his tip in her saliva. When his head rolled back she knew he was putty in her hands. She placed her freshly licked lips firmly on top of his erection and pushed them apart while sliding them down his length. Although she was unable to insert most of him into her mouth she could tell that her efforts were appreciated. With as much of his length inside her mouth as she could fit, she licked the underside of his shaft and dragged her mouth up along his length. She began to pump her mouth up and down gently humming to herself. She made a conscious effort to slack her jaw and allow the reverberations of her humming to reach his member.   
He let out another low moan and jerked his hips slightly. She pulled her lips back, leaving behind her warm saliva as lubricant. She licked each of her palms and then wrapped both of her hands around his shaft. She began to slide her right hand down the length, followed by the left, once her hand reached the base, she removed it, and returned it to the tip. Her ministrations creating an unending tunnel for him to repetitively penetrate. His pleasure began to rise higher, and his length hardened even greater. With his body responding to her ever touch she returned her mouth to his tip. The motion of her hands continued in an unbelievable pleasure while her mouth began to suck at the sensitive spot just below his tip. She took him into her mouth, and sucked gently, creating a mild vacuum like seal she tilted her head from side to side, then pumped up and down with her slicked fingers.   
He jerked his hips once more and spoke once in uneven pants. 

“God Luce, I don’t know if I can handle this…” She grinned to herself in response to his words and increased her musings. She sucked him deeply into her mouth while sliding her hands downward along his lengthy shaft.  
He was losing all reason and he didn’t have much strength left before he broke. He moved to pull away and release his load elsewhere when she pushed down on him. She removed her hand from his length and pushed on his heated abs forcing his back to remain against the wall successfully holding him in place. He was unable to escape but desperately tried. He was just about to beg her to stop when she spoke in a hum for him. Her lips lifted less than an inch above his throbbing erection.   
“You don’t have to do that; I like it when you cum”. Without leaving him room for hesitation she plunged her skilled lips back on top of his member, and frantically began to pump them up and down his length. She remained unable to consume his length but tried her best to take as much into her as possible with every descending pump. She sped up and moaned loudly urging him to cum inside of her warm mouth. He quivered in response to her musings. He lost control over himself and released a loud moan that rumbled into the night as his seed began to pulsate out of him. As he came for her, she lapped up ever drop of him, moaning with pleasure at the taste. Her pleased sounds only prolonging his peak. 

“God luuuuce” spilled from his lips as she slowed the pumping of her mouth down to gentle rocking until his ever drop had been spent. She licked his tip clean before lifting herself from her knees and returning to stand in front of him. She tightened her towel as she rose.   
“See Natsu, I’m not yours, but if you’re lucky, one day I might let you be mine.” She taunted him with a defiant stride and began to exit the room planning on leaving the dragon slayer, as he had left her early the morning. 

He grabbed her shoulders as she passed him, and spun her around and into his arms once more. The dragon within him had not had his full. Her actions had pleasured him, but as a dragon, he was unable to allow her to escape and claim her superiority over him. He was the Alpha now, and he refused to relent, she was going to submit to him before the night was through.

“You’re wrong Lucy, one day soon you're going to beg to be mine.” His voice held a returned ferocity. He grabbed her by both hips and thrust his moistened dick against her slit sliding the hardened length against her dampened core. For a man who had just spent his load you couldn’t tell, he was still harder than any man she had known. 

She hadn’t anticipated his return so suddenly, and the heat of it made her head swim. He slid his hands under her buttocks, and lifted her into his arms. Lucy was sure he was going to take her in that moment, but instead of a penetrating force slamming into her, she was placed onto the nearby vanity counter.

Natsu tugged her towel away from her, finally getting to appreciate her naked body. Her stomach was taut and firm with an afternoon of good use. He could see the well-formed muscles just beneath the surface of her skin. She was curvaceous in all the right ways. Her bosom bounced when she moved and swelled with her every breath. Her beauty left him speechless; she must have been designed by the gods for him alone. He was unable to put into words exactly how well her appearance suited him, from her golden blond hair down to her lengthy legs, even the firm ass she sat upon called to him in a way no other women had before.

He wanted to taste every inch of her, feel the sensation of her skin under his tongue, learn what the flavor of her arousal was. He might be a novice, but it didn’t matter. For dragons and dragon slayers, claiming a mate came as naturally as inhaling air. He kissed her deeply on the mouth before moving to bite down beside her collar bone. With a moan escaping her lips he began to trace his fingers over her body. He pressed into her shoulders, and rubbed down her pectorals, reaching her heaving chest. 

He massaged his fingers into her breast and started to tease her erect nipples. He lightly rubbed with his fingertips, then allowed his hands to dance across her bust. He sucked one pink bud into his mouth and continued to massage her other breast. With a few tugs in his mouth, and a gently scraping of his teeth her breast swelled even more. He switched to her other side and repeated his actions. First sucking, then gently tugging, and finally scraping his teach along the pink rose bud. With an impulse leading him, he shifted his body weight onto her slight. Noticing his unnamed request, she parted her legs for him. He placed himself between her thighs causing his erection to become so close to her core, that he could have had her screaming his name at any second. He chose to show restraint and instead placed his left hand on her right thigh. He started at her knee pressing gently he slid his hand along her inner thigh until it reached her center. 

His fingers explored the outer shell of her core, gently prodding and rubbing into her. His hands moved in small circles, and he slowly reached the center of her womanhood. It was slickened with the moisture of her excitement and smelled like honey and grapefruit.  
Experimentally he slid a finger into her core and was greeted by a moan of bliss from the women wrapped around him. Her head tilted back and rested against the mirror behind her. With a thrust of his finger, she moaned for him once more. He releases her nipple from his mouth. Setting his remaining hand nearly on fire he trailed it along her soft buttercream skin. The heat was nearly unbearable as he ran it down her body, then back up to the center of her breast. He gently pushed against her body, holding her in place, while he sank to his knees and lowered his head to her core. 

He had thought her mouth tasted like sunshine, but her entire core was lava. He lapped at her trying to consume as much of her sweetness as possible. He was acting purely on instinct, but he knew he was searching for something. 

He continued to lap at her until he felt a button against his tongue. When his tongue pressed to it, she squirmed against him. Even though she seemed to resist his intimate touch, her body sent a rush of liquid lava in response. Whatever he had done seemed to be exactly what he was looking for. He began to slide his finger in and out of her while flicking his tongue at the overly sensitive button.

Her initial response had been to squirm away, but she quickly opened up for him and began to lift herself slightly trying to get closer to his touch. She moaned his name softly under her breath as he heated his well-placed finger. His touch began to torture her; the heat was so pleasurable that it nearly crossed the line to pain. 

“Oh my god Natsu that feels so good!” She whined at him, her hips began to jerk against his every lick.

He sped up his ministrations, his fingers pumped and tongue flicked. With her panting in his arms, he changed his pattern. He began to flick his finger inside of her and sucked on the magical button he had discovered. She screamed in pleasure as a reaction to his change of course. Her climax became more and more inevitable…  
“Naaaatsuu, I can’t keep going like thisss.” She hissed in an uncontrolled voice. With her quivering in response to his endeavors he refused to give up his speed.   
“Naatsu, if you don’t taaaaake me now, I don’t know iff I’ll bee able to pleaaase you.” She tried again. She was unable to form her words, clearly, each one drew out longer than the last.  
He sucked at her button gently with his lips, then released her and whispered in a rough voice barely audible to her ears.  
“Stop holding back Luce, I’m not going to fuck you, so enjoy this while I let you.” He spoke while pumping his fingers inside of her, and she whimpered in response to him. She wanted him to take her. She wanted to feel his massive length complete her.

“But, Naatsuu…” She began to plead for him, for more.

“Beg me, Luce, beg me to take you, and promise me when I do, that you’ll never let anyone else touch you like this again.” He knew that he asked for too much too soon and that she wasn’t ready, but he couldn’t keep the request from exiting his lips. In the heat of the moment, the words spilled out from his heart and left him regretting his haste.   
She withdrew from him ever so slightly, shocked by what he had just asked of her. He didn’t want to just fuck her, he wanted to keep her for his own? Natsu spoke once more to clarify his unorthodox statement.  
“I'm not going to take you, Luce, you aren't ready, you may never be, but I will do my best to please you. To make you understand how badly I want you. Now stop thinking and cum for my Luce, let me hear my name on your lips.” 

It was the first, and only time that evening she followed his lead, as he spoke he increased his tempo, it became inhuman, he flicked his finger and withdrew from her so that he could add another. She whimpered in response to the addition, her legs closed against his hips. He pumped twice than twisted his fingers inside of her. He tilted his finger up and hit a soft velvety patch of skin. Massaging roughly with his newly increased pumping. Her legs pressed her full strength against his hips. She melting from his touch, and screams of pleasure began to stream from her lips.  
With her end within reach, Natsu instructed her once more.

“Cum for me Luce.” His words begging for her acknowledge him while she climaxed. The explosion of euphoria washed over her, and as she came he bit down on her neck, leaving a deep purple bruise just below her ear. She might not be ready to submit to him yet, and he knew he wasn’t able to claim her as his mate, but with one bite her was marking her as his own.


	8. Chapter 8

Lucy awoke in the morning to her large king size bed. The night before Natsu had carried her to that same bed and placed her in it. His strength easily allowed him to carry her across the room to her nearby bed. He had tucked her in and even kissed her forehead goodnight. It was the first gentle, even somewhat romantic gesture that Natsu had ever shown her. He had left her to sleep in the four post bed alone, exiting their shared suite in search of the blue exceed. 

She was gently woken by the morning sun seeping in through her window. She felt both bliss and confusion. Natsu had made it clear that he was interested in her physically, and he even said that she would be his. Although what that exact phrase meant she didn’t know. To her, it seemed like he was trying to lay claim, but it was in some unknown fashion and she didn’t understand. She questioned what last night meant, and if he wanted some type of relationship? 

The lack of sex had confused her absolutely. She had been willing, if not eager for him, and yet he hesitated? She knew that at the time he was physically up for the task, so what was holding him back? He had told her that she wasn’t ready, and that idea had initially confused her. Originally she had thought that he was perhaps just some hormonal driven teenager and that he was just being impulsive. Clearly that wasn’t the situation, because if it had been then he wouldn’t have turned her away. Even with her willingness he seemed to think that something was missing.

Neither of them had had the ‘how experienced are you’ talk so it was possible that Natsu assumed she was a virgin (like she was when he had left her to go train last year). Maybe he didn’t want to be the 'more experienced man', corrupting his younger team mate? Natsu was the type of person who always looked out for others first, so maybe he withdrew because he was trying to look out for her. Maybe he didn't want to corrupt her.   
Lucy realized that meant she needed to tell him about what had happened while he was gone. Not only would she have to tell him that she wasn’t as innocent as he assumed, but she would likely have to tell him ‘who’ she had lost that innocence too. He was going to be furious with her, maybe even put off by her experience. Perhaps her history would cause the chance they had to be flushed away. She worried that he would resent her, and be see her as no better than Kana. She didn't want to be seen as promiscuous, but she couldn't lie to him either. Even if this remained purely physical he deserved to know her position before they became intimate -if they ever did-.   
If last night was just a one-time occurrence, then it would be unwise to tell him. If he was going to forget about her in a few days’ time to chase the next pretty tail to walk by than sharing her past would only cause an unnecessary rift between them. Based on his skills from last night, he probably had a decent amount of experience with leaving girls behind, men don’t just tease a girl and walk away unless they are accustomed to women being available to them. Perhaps it would be best to talk about the more physical stuff after she had a chance to understand where they stood. For the moment, he was still her best friend, and she didn’t know for sure if it would evolve past that point. She hadn’t even had a chance to take a moment for herself and decided if she wanted their friendship to develop into more. 

All of this thinking before breakfast was making her head hurt. She needed food to help her concentration and wished she had her mother to talk too. Perhaps since she didn’t have her mom, an older sister might help. She hadn’t had a chance to catch up with some of her closest girl friends, and she knew just the one to turn to for advice.

Lucy dressed, and with her keys on her hip, she made her way to the buffet line for some eggs and bacon. Food in her hands, she looked around the area and spotted the scarlet colored hair she was looking for. She walked over to her adopted older sister and was welcomed with a warm hug  
“Hey Erza, Hey Jellal, it's so great to see you both.” She spoke with a smile on her face while taking a seat. Lucy was so happy that Erza had managed to get Jellal and his team to join Fairy Tail. It seemed like the relationship between the two S-classed wizards was becoming more serious, and she hoped that they were finding their happiness in one another. 

Erza and Lucy chatted casually while they finished their meals. Laughing at stories they shared about their year apart. When Jellal stood to get a refill of his drink Lucy seized the opportunity.  
“Hey, um Erza, do you have any plans for today?” She stammered out, hints of anxiety slipping into her unspoken request.  
“No, why did you want to do a mission together? I’m not sure there are any on the request board yet?” Erza spoke, trying to offer her support. She knew that when Lucy was stressed it was usually because the blonde girl was getting short on money, and worried about buying food, or affording a place to sleep.  
“Well, actually I was hopping I could um borrow you, for something other than a mission.” She sighed in exasperation “I need some girl talk.” The face she made spoke volumes, her eyes held such confusion, that it was clear to Erza whatever Lucy wanted must be important.   
“Come On, let's go to my room, its got a bit more privacy than yours.” Erza stood up and waved a good bye to Jellal. He nodded his head and moved to join his team at a nearby table.

The two girls made their way down the stairs and past doors of almost every Fairy Tail team. Lucy was surprised when they entered Erza’s suite. It had two more rooms than her own suite. Both rooms were full sized armories. Where Lucy’s suite roomed Natsu and Happy; Erza’s suite held a magnificent walk in closet. Said closed housed many displays of clothing, jewelry, and weapons some of Fiore’s finest. Although it didn’t surprise her that Erza needed the extra space, she was surprised that Erza’s suite didn’t include rooms for Jellal and Meredy. Erza explained to Lucy, that although the rooms were originally designed for the two wizards, she thought it was best Jellal and her not bunk so close together. Meredy had refused to leave Jellal's side, so they set up the two mages with cobra’s team of wizards.

Ever the studious one, Erza urged Lucy to sit on her couch. Beginning the conversation, she knew Lucy was trying to avoid, but needed to have. “So Lucy, does this girl talk have anything to do with that bite on your neck?” Erza questioned.

Lucy’s hand flew up to her neck, she hadn’t realized that Natsu had left a mark on her. She stood and walked to the mirror in the entranceway. Just below her ear was a deep purple bruise. Lucy looked at it with contempt. ‘The HELL Natsu! You’re soo not allowed to mark me!’ she thought to herself. Even if she tried to tell someone that the well placed mark wasn’t a hickey, the large fang marks cornering it left few options of what it was and who had put the bite there. 

Lucy righted herself, squared her shoulders. She was about to begin talking before she remembered the fantastic feature Grey had told her about early yesterday. She turned to the suite’s front door and turned the silence feature to 'on'. Their privacy fortified Lucy returned to her seat on the couch and slung her head down deep in discomfort.

“Oh Erza, I am so screwed.” She whined in despair. Running her hand through her hair she continued “It’s not supposed to be like this. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Well why don’t you start with the most important part, have you decided how you feel about him?” Erza wisely questioned. She wasn’t positive that the purple bite mark was from her favorite pink haired teammate, but it was a good guess. 

Lucy wasn’t the type of girl to be fooling around with just anyone, and Erza could count on three fingers the men Lucy might let close enough to allow such an intimate touch. Since one of those three mages had recently gotten married the pool of eligible bachelors shrank even further. Erza cared greatly for her two teammates, and hoped that if the mark was left by Natsu that the two would be able to work out whatever was going on, they needed to have each other's backs without question, they were a team. 

Thinking on the question Erza had just presented her with Lucy was forced to admit her embarrassment out loud. “Not really…” Lucy spoke in shame. 

She knew that her actions the previous evening were impulsive. When it came down to it, she hadn’t even sat down to think on if she even wanted anything from this whole situation. She didn’t know how she felt about Natsu. She had always looked up to him as one of her best friends, and she had always admired his strength, but she had just begun to discover the lust was feeling for him. She hadn’t even thought about actual feelings yet. Lucy had granted Natsu and Happy forgiveness for leaving her side even before their return, but forgiveness didn’t erase scars. He had wounded her and left her alone. She had trusted him, and she felt abandoned by his disappearance. Even though she knew she had no right to feel wounded by his actions, it didn't stop the emotional scars from surfacing. 

Although forgiveness was easy to grant, trust was hard to restore. Certainly there was no hope of starting a relationship without restoring trust. Assuming they both were interested in a relationship, which at present was a guessing game. As Lucy’s mind ran ramped with uncertainties Erza sat to think.

“Hmm,” Erza wisely decided that the only way Lucy was going to make any progress is if she nodded her head, and encouraged the young blonde to keep talking by keeping herself silent. Although advice could be helpful, it seemed her younger adopted sister was able to figure this problem out on her own, she just needed someone to listen. 

“It's not like I meant for last night to happen, not that it really did. The entire thing was rash and impulsive, but it was also kind of amazing. I want to regret it because it's not supposed to be like that, at least not with him, but I can’t. I can’t help the way I keep feeling around him, it's more than just his usually body heat, I feel like he is setting me on fire. Some of its great, and some of its awful. Like how I can’t seem to keep a lid on my temper when he is around." She paused to let out a low growl of turmoil.   
"Uggg, it's not like I’m the only one to blame, he was the one to go all Fire Dragon on Loki last night, then next thing I know he has me pinned to the wall and is kissing me. How am I supposed to know how I feel about him when I don’t even know what this is if it even is anything! I have no idea what he wants, one minute he’s hot and heavy and the next minute he is telling me I’m not ready! It’s just so frustrating!” Lucy ranted off her deepest frustrations to her older sister. She knew that with Erza whatever they spoke was guaranteed to be kept secret, and private. She knew Erza would listen, and offer valuable advice. 

Erza thought for another moment, and after forming her thoughts clearly so as not to upset her friend she spoke.   
“I don’t want to upset you Lucy, but it is possible that Natsu may be more, well, seasoned now. It’s a sign of self-restraint of any decent man to not rush a less experienced lady down that road.” Erza delicately spoke, she didn’t want Lucy to be hurt by the honest words. Erza knew what it was like to be interested in a man and that in some cases the man can be more practiced, and only interested in the physical. Luckily for her and Jellal they had both traveled down that road together and shared a deep emotion bond, but it wasn’t the case for all women, and she knew of a few who weren’t so lucky.   
Lucy slumped her head once more, she wasn’t proud of what she had to say, but she knew if she didn’t speak up now, that this whole thing might turn into a lie of omission, and that wouldn’t get her the advice she dearly needed.  
“It's not like that, anymore, for me….” She trailed off. Hoping Erza would get the gist of the meaning behind her words.   
“I see,” Erza spoke in understanding. “Than perhaps Lucy, you need to tell me a little about your year away from the guild.”

 

Lucy began her story the only place she knew too; she began with the loneliness.

It all started a few months after Fairy Tail disbanded. Lucy had spent the previous few months trying to fill the void that loneliness had created. She had relocated and started a career. Her modeling had been off and on, but it was just too much for her. With ever flash of the camera she found it harder and harder to pretend to be happy, that everything was ok. She knew that the sadness was seeping into her eyes, and had ruined a few shots thankfully Jason worked his wonders and always managed to pull off a great photo shoot. 

Lucy wanted to be taken more seriously, but didn’t want to seem ungrateful for the kindness Jason had shown her. He had given her this job without any hesitation, and she knew that she owed him some major favors if ever he asked. She had been trying her best to fight off the sadness, and loneliness but was starting to shut the world away.   
She knew herself well enough that she could identify when she was closing off and push everyone away. She knew if she didn't make a change soon she would give up all hope, and begin to feed only on the despair. It's exactly what she had done when her mom had died. Last time it took her years to overcome. She had to create her own hope, and in the end, the only chance she had was to escape. Last time she had run away to find a better future but now she could feel the despair slipping back in, she was crying herself to sleep nearly every night. If she didn't make a change for the better soon she feared she would end up running away again. 

One day she decided she didn’t want to model anymore, and she was trying to work up the nerve to ask Jason to let her be a writer instead. Her work wasn't perfect, but she was ready to try just about anything to give herself a fighting chance against this overwhelming depression.   
She decided that if she was going to ask Jason for a career change that a drink or two should help her build up some courage. Lucy summoned Plue to keep my company and went to the ‘Honey Bone’ for a quick drink. The Honey Bone was the closest bar to Jason’s office and was still within walking distance of her home. 

She reached the bar with Plue by her side and took a seat at the bar. With Plue sitting beside her she tried her first drink of the evening. Natsu drank a fire whiskey once and awhile so she tried that first. Most of the liquid making it down her throat in a shot, with just a little spilling over her lips. Not usually a heavy drinker the effects came on quickly and lasted longer than she thought normal. Lucy knew that she was a light-weight, but didn’t remember that sometimes she got a little bit too friendly when intoxicated.   
As the evening moved on an overly friendly Lucy stumbled across the bar directly into the arms of Bacchus. Playing the gentleman, he asked her to sit in his private booth. Lucy assumed he was a friend volunteering to take care of her in her weakened state. She seized the opportunity and joined him in the leather covered seat.

Erza gasped in shock. 

“Oh Lucy, please don’t tell me that you slept with Bacchus!” She knew that it wasn’t her place to judge one of her closest girl friends, but she knew what a leech Bacchus could be, and although she had shot him down, everyone knew he was a pig with women.  
“No, I didn’t even kiss him!” Lucy quickly defended herself. “It wasn’t like that exactly. See somehow he convinced me to bring out Gemini after Plue left. Then he kept going on about how no way could Gemini clone anyone cause if they could I would be more powerful than him, so to prove a point I had Gemini clone him. He said that wasn’t funny, so I had Gemi and Mini take on their Lucy form, it is kind of their default form when I want to let them socialize, and hang out. I thought I was being funny, but he got all gross about. Making really inappropriate suggestions, so I sent Gemi and Mini home. I hate to see them treated like Karen treated Aries, so thought it was best they go back to the spirit world before some of the men at the bar got the wrong impression. Anyways once the Gemini gate was closed, Bacchus was still making a bunch of suggestions and started to get really handsy. I was stuck in the corner of a booth with one of the strongest mages around pawing at me, and he wouldn’t take a hint.”

Erza was proud that Lucy was standing her ground against the perverted man. Making a mental note to have a chat with the drunken master about respecting the word ‘no’ she nodded her head, urging Lucy to continue the story.

“So I was sitting there in the booth trying to find a way out, more than a little drunk. I had somehow managed to drink almost a whole bottle to myself and was barely able to walk on my own. When I tried to stand up to walk away Bacchus grabbed me from behind and tried to pull me back to the booth. Seeing my distress Loki crossed through his gate and sent Bacchus flying with a regulas impact attack. The fight didn't go far, but it was enough to get the point across that I wanted to leave. 

I knew that I was too drunk to try to talk to Jason. I'm sure if I had he would have sent me home anyways, so instead I decided to try and sleep off the alcohol. Loki left Bacchus behind before a real fight could break out and instead walked me home. 

Erza had always like Loki, He was nothing if not an utter gentleman, sometimes he was too much of a ladies’ man, but everyone had their faults. She was pleased that he had appeared to escort the drunk celestial wizard home. 

Lucy weakly smiled and continued on. “Well, anyways he walked me home and tucked me into bed. He’s always been chivalrous, but I was so lonely. I missed home, and our guild, I missed having a family, and weirdly enough I even missed Natsu and Happy sneaking into my place at night. I didn’t like sleeping alone and just wanted to feel like I still had a place where I belonged. I wasn't thinking clearly, and was very very drunk, and I kind of threw myself at him. It was inappropriate and I was inexperienced, but I just wanted someone to stay with me. Loki refused me because I was intoxicated, but it made things complicated.”

Erza thought to herself that out of the three possible men she had considered a possibility for Lucy the list how now come full circle. Grey had gotten married, and it seemed Loki had run his course. She hoped that Lucy had better luck with Natsu. 

Lucy continued “I've always know Loki had this thing for me, and I had always turned him down, but after that night I wasn't able to. I had asked him to spend the night in bed with me, he stayed by my side even without the sex. He kept me company when I was alone when I felt completely abandoned. He seemed like the only person I could depend on, I was closed off and scared but he was always there, right by my side when I needed him most. More importantly than that, he had made a vow to stay by my side for my entire life. I didn’t have to worry about him leaving me, or going off without a goodbye. I was so terrified that I was going to spend the rest of my life alone, without a family." Lucy Huffed to herself, it was always difficult to talk about her insecurities and romantic mistakes. 

"That morning I woke up and he was still laying in bed with me, we were both fully clothed, but my heart felt naked, laid out for him to read. He knew how alone I was, and promised me that he would keep me company for as long as I let him. After that, I decided to give him a shot, even though I had never really had a boyfriend, he was offering me everything I thought I needed. It got serious pretty quickly, I was shy at first, but he was so experienced that things progressed a lot faster than I would have thought possible. The entire relationship flew by because we didn’t need to go through the normal dating stuff of getting to know one another, we already knew each others darkest moments and deepest secrets. In the end, it didn’t work for us we just weren’t compatible."

Lucy stopped speaking, it was the most she could share with her best friend. She was honest when it was hard to be, but she spoke in a way that didn’t interfere with her privacy. She wanted her friend to know the whole story, but she didn’t want to share the physical stuff, it was uncomfortable for her to look back on. She always felt a bit of shame when looking back on that part of her year away from Fairy Tail. She hated that she had slept with her spirit.

They had tried to make their relationship work for months, but it made them both miserable. Ever step of the way Lucy wanted to be in charge and Loki was always over protective. He stepped in on all of her decisions, and popped in and out of her life ever time see was frustrated. He was always trying to fix everything for her, and it made her feel useless and weak. She would always care for him in a way, but after months of effort it was clear to both her and Loki that they just didn’t work. She needed someone who could comfort her when she needed it, but always allowed her to fight her own battles, and make her own decisions. She didn’t need a hero or a rescuer. What she needed out of a partner was a respected equal. 

Loki on the other hand needed someone who was less controlling, who wouldn’t try to take charge of every situation. He didn't like feeling challenged, to him it was emasculating. He needed to be with someone who didn’t fight him so much, and wasn’t so argumentative. He needed someone who was better at stepping back and allowing the man to take charge. Lucy had her suspicions on who would be able to fill that role for him, but as his ex-girlfriend, it wasn’t really her place to stick her nose into his personal life. Since their relationship had ended they vowed to stay close friends and agreed to support one another through the hard times, but to only help when asked to. They had also agreed that interfering with each other's personal relationships was strictly off limits. 

In the end, their relationship had been good for Lucy. She had been forced to grow up, and mature as a woman, she had learned a lot about relationships, like how to have an argument while still showing respect for your partner. She was glad that they were still able to maintain their friendship, and even more glad to have matured into the women she now was. After their break up she had learned to depend on herself, and not others. She had learned that although it seemed like a good idea to seek comfort from a partner when lonely, it wasn’t a good basis for a relationship. She still felt like a woman with needs, and around Natsu, those needs seemed to flare nearly uncontrollably. However, she knew if she was going to pursue a relationship with anyone she wanted the ground work to be solid first. 

She knew she didn’t need a man. At times, she might want one to join her, and she sometimes missed the company at night. But after Fairy Tail's disbandment and breaking up with Loki she had learned independence and self-reliance. If she was going to move forward and try to have a relationship with anyone, then it needed to be built on mutual respect, dependability and understood independence. She refused to morph into the perfect match for someone else, she needed to put herself first and hope that who she was blended with whomever she chose to be with. 

Erza took a moment to think about the information she had received. She knew that it wasn’t uncommon for spirits and celestial mages to mingle, they often shared an unspeakable bond, and that bond could often develop into love. She knew to give any worthwhile advice she needed to understand that relationship clearly. She didn't want to say something to encourage Lucy to seek out a relationship with Natsu, if deep down the celestial mage still had feelings for her spirit. Erza doubted that was the case. She thought it sounded like Lucy had allowed Loki to fill the void both Fairy Tail, and Natsu had left her with this past year. Since it seemed to her that Lucy was unaware of these actions Erza kept them to herself. Erza instead choose to question the past carefully to avoid any miscommunication. 

“How did you two end things?” She tried to clarify. Hoping that her briefness in statements would allow Lucy some wiggle room for personal boundaries.   
“Well it started off slowly, we fought more and more than eventually he just stopped fighting with me. I think it was just too much for him, and somewhere along the way he got tired of being argued with. I got tried of being spoken for, and having someone around who is always trying to rescue me when I'm perfectly capable on my own. We both wanted it to end long before it did. We are a lot better off as friends. It was awkward for the first little while, but I think we are both happier now as just wizard and spirit.” Lucy explained.

 

Erza mauled over this new information. It seemed that her original suspicions were correct. Lucy didn't need advice, she just needed a listening ear, and the support of a friend. 

“Hmm well I’m glad you were so honest with my Lucy, but it seems like there isn’t much advice I can offer you. You’re a smart girl. You already know what the right thing to do is; you need to talk to Natsu and tell him all of this. Before you tell him about your past try to figure out exactly how you feel about him, there is no point risking your friendship if you don't want this to go anywhere. I'd also like to say that I have never seen him show any interest in a girl before. So, I think its safe to assume if he is marking you with bruises he wants more than just friendship. Even if he isn't sure of what that 'more' is. You two need to talk and try to figure out exactly where you want this to go, and get to know one another again. A year away is a long time, you've both grown so much, and you need to get reacquainted with the people you have grown into.” 

Lucy pouted to herself. She knew that she needed to sit down and figure out this whole things, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to yet. She was about to whine some more, but there was a knock at the door. 

Juvia’s voice resounded from behind the S-class wizards the door. “Hey guys, everyone is getting ready for the guild meeting, it's in less than an hour. If you are free can you come help arrange chairs?” 

Although the silence feature meant that Juvia wouldn’t be able to hear them at all, they were able to hear her perfectly. It was a cleverly devised device, and Lucy was thankful once more for it. She knew that this wasn’t a conversation she was ready for the dragon slayer to hear.   
After all, they had talked about Lucy now knew she needed to take some time to herself and think on all of the changes she had experienced lately. She needed to analyze what road she wanted to go down, and if she wanted anyone to be by her side. Lucy quickly thanked Erza for the advice and headed for the door.

Being home in Fairy Tail was surely eventful, she hadn’t even had a chance to catch up with all of her friends yet, and she already felt her like her life had taken another major turn. Perhaps the party tonight would help bring everyone back together, and give them a much-needed chance to reunite as a family.   
Lucy opened the door and smiled to the blue haired water mage. “We are on our way Juvia” she spoke cheerfully. The lightness of her character returning.

_  
The chairs had been set, and the crowd had gathered. The large contained every member of Fairy Tail except for Guildarts and Master Makarov, even Porlyusica sat grumpily off to the side. Over the course of the last three days, everyone had returned home. They had traveled by any means possible, and as quickly as they could.

When Lucy entered the seating area she wanted to sit beside Natsu and Happy. However, Natsu was already seated in the center of the dragon slayers and Happy was sitting with Carla and Wendy. As they both seemed comfortable Lucy chose to sit with Gray and Juvia, she always felt comfortable with her previous teammate nearby. Lucy felt happy to see the brilliant smile on Juvia’s face, and the light shining brightly in Gray’s eyes. The two had finally found love in each other, and she was so pleased for them, even if she wished that they had stayed on her team.

A Fairy Tail Council started to gather behind a few long tables that were placed on top of the sparing ring Natsu had previously fought Laxus in. The ring seemed to easily double as a stage, and it created an air of authority for the members who began to gather upon it.  
The long table held eight seats, and whomever the seats were intended had already been chosen. Lucy assumed it was an invitation only situation for team leaders and S-class wizards. 

Mirajane took a seat to the far left, Erza took the one beside her, and the entire table slowly filled. Jellal, Mest, Cana, Freed, and Levy slowly filtered out of the crowd and took their seats. What ever they wanted to discuss with their fellow guild members it must be serious. With all but one seat filled Lucy began to search the crowd for Laxus. 

Erza cleared her throat and motioned to the dragon slayers. Everyone waited for the dragon slayer to take the remaining seat upon on the Council of Fairies. The blonde haired mage was shocked when the oldest and strongest S-class dragon slayer remained seated and Natsu stood and walked towards the vacant seat. Lucy scoffed loudly, appreciating the joke, and waited for Laxus to stand, punch Natsu through the roof, and take his rightful position. As Natsu continued to walk forward Laxus chewed his cheek slightly but remained seated beside Gajeel and the other dragon slayers.   
Lucy was perplexed, why on earth was Natsu being chosen over the lighting dragon slayer? Why hadn’t Laxus even tried to stop him? She kept waiting for the shoe to drop, and the joke to end, but it didn’t. Natsu walked onto the impromptu stage and took a seat amongst the strongest and oldest members of Fairy Tail.   
Erza waved to Juvia from her seat beside Lucy and invited her to take the center stage. Standing Juvia lightly smiled to her spouse, then walked in front of the Council of Fairies. She stood with her back to the powerful leaders and began to address the crowd. She gave a short speech about the new guild policies, and rules. The topics included rent payments, fight control, emergency exits, as well as giving everyone a chance to contest rooming arrangements. She mentioned briefly that Levy had completed the appropriate guild paperwork, and a cheer rang out in celebration. 

With her housekeeping updated complete, Juvia walked back to her seat. As Juvia seated herself, Levy stood and brought forth two large white boards for the crowd to see. She asked that each team list all of its members and its official team title on the board to her right. Most of Fairy Tail’s teams had done some shuffling, and many new teams had popped out of the woodwork. Levy asked that all teams completed the task by the end of the evening, and anyone wanting to remain an independent mage place their name on the white board to her left, before sitting once more behind the council's table. 

With the formalities complete Mest began to speak;  
“Most of you have probably realized by now that not only is Master Makarov away but so is Guildarts. It seems that our guild, as well as a few others, are unable to contact their top ranked Wizards; Because of this situation, we have agreed to assemble a task force with our allied guilds in an attempt to try to locate Fiore’s strongest Mages. Late tomorrow afternoon the chosen wizard’s will play host to our arriving guests, and once a strategy is formed they will depart.”  
Almost every member of the crowd was on their feet volunteering their help. Only Juvia and Grey remained seated; Juvia knew she needed to stay at home and keep her baby safe, and Grey knew he needed to keep his wife safe.   
Mest continued to speak over the crowd; “We only have space for ten mages to join the allied forces, this team will be selected by myself and the people sitting behind this table. The other guilds are sending no more than four wizards per guild, but as Fairy Tail is taking point we will be sending the largest group. 

The crowd was unimpressed by their lack of control in the situation. They all wanted to join and help return their master to the guild. A fight nearly broke out, but no one dared get into a fist fight while standing so close to the Juvia, and the infant within her womb.

Ever the enthusiast for a good fight Natsu proposed a tournament; Suggesting that the winners would be considered for a position on the rescue mission. The crowd settled, appeased by his suggestion. Fairy Tail always loved a good fight, and most of the members were eager to show off the skills they had learnt while they were away. With the terms arranged, and schedule set for tomorrow morning, there was nothing left to discuss but the party this evening. Mira explained to the guild that the party was in celebration of their success. With their family reunited, and guild hall recreated a party was the best chance for everyone to get reacquainted and celebrate the resurrection of Fairy Tail. The party would begin in two hours’ time, the bar would be open, and food would be plentiful. Mira concluded the meeting by ordering the men to help clear the table and chairs, and telling the women to head to their rooms to get dressed

Lucy Stood in front of the full-length mirror Cancer had adjusted for her within her bathroom. She analyzed the outfit she wore, and the style her hair had been put into by her trusted spirit. She never had a problem showing skin, but she wasn’t sure this ensemble was entire ‘her’.  
Her hair was down inches longer than normal. Her faithful spirit had used his unique skills to grow her hair to where it swept the small of her back. He had carefully placed gold and red gems throughout her sun-kissed lengths. The brilliant gems shimmered in the dimming light and reminded her of unruly waves dancing in the light of a golden sunset. As she turned to examine her outfit she was forced to appreciate its tailored perfection.   
The short black top fit like a custom made corset, with deep red silk ties crisscrossing at its front to hold it together, it ended just bellow her bust line and dipped between her voluptuous curves. Anyone could see the exposed gold key she hung from her neck. It remained broken, but she wore it with pride. The skirt that she wore was pleated and black. It pulled together on her right hip and was nearly non-existent on her left. She carefully clipped her keys onto the skirt, just behind the exposed skin of her left hip.  
With her lengthy thighs nearly completely exposed she noted the need to sit carefully throughout the evening. She decided that if she was going to look her best than the chunky black heels in her suitcase were her best bet. The inches they added would help to emphasize her lengthy legs, and she didn’t want to ruin the sultry ensemble by choosing the knee-high boots she normal wore. She wanted to give the impression of being an attractive woman, not a young girl searching for attention. Over the course of the last few months was starting to lean more and more towards more mature clothing options. She still chose her regular comfortable clothing nine times out of ten, but this was a party, and that meant it was the perfect chance to make an impression.   
With the heels on her toes, she still didn’t feel quite right. She looked like a model but didn’t feel the outfit fit her just yet. Looking around the room she realized what was missing. She grabbed the black bracer off her dresser and placed it on her wrist. With the clasp of its button, she relaxed, the small item made her feel instantly at ease. The black bracer was worn from use but was still one of her most cherished possessions. Her outfit completed she twirled in front of the mirror before exiting the room. The party was set to begin any moment, but she headed the opposite direction; knowing a particular short haired bookworm who was likely to need the assistance of Cancer.   
__

Natsu and Happy entered their suite like a hurricane. The two had spent the last few hours setting lights, and arranging speakers. The party had started already, but the two had not even had a chance to sit, let alone prepare for their evening. Happy muttered to himself something about taking a bath in fish as he flew into his room. No doubt hoping to impress Carla.  
Natsu passed the ajar doorway of Lucy’s room, and with a quick inhale through his nose assessed that Lucy had already left, he could tell by her scent that she was in Levy’s suite. ‘Good’ he thought to himself. He needed some distance to think.

Yesterday still felt like an earthquake within him, he had made a vow to himself that he would show Lucy how he felt, or allow himself to get close to her in that way. He had failed twice in one day, and the regret he felt was palpable. He wanted to be stoic, and a good Alpha to his dragon slayers but he seemed to lack the maturity for it. He could feel his self-control slipping the more he was around Lucy, and he worried that the more time he spent with her the more likely he was to lose the battle he was fighting against his own fate. He knew himself well, and he knew with time he could grow into the role of Alpha, becoming a good leader to his pack; but he wasn't sure he could fight off his instincts in regards to the sultry blonde who was gaining more and more control over him. 

He walked into his shower, turning the hot water on full blast, and leaving the cold water in the off position. He grabbed the liquid soap he had packed with him; a concoction of oddly named plants that was titled ‘Dragons Blood’. The soap was deep red and smelled like the fire and earth were trying to combine with one another; it held hints of the mountains and touches of lava, the ashen smell had always been one of his favorites. He lathered himself from head to toe all the while thinking of the blonde who seemed to reside permanently within his mind.   
He was still in shock of her actions the day before. In the past when he had thought about kissing her, or touching her she was always bashful, and resistant. While he lived on Mount Altana last year he had spent hours wondering what he could do to convince her to risk her life on a chance to save his own. Originally didn’t want to sacrifice his life if there was a chance she could help him break the curse, but after months of thought, he came to the conclusion that it was cowardly to involve her in any of this. He had decided the entire thing was useless; she could never love him, and because of that, he was better off not risking her life. 

After the evening, they had just shared he was no longer sure about her. She had been receptive and wanting. Her actions had been instinctual, and passionate, they lacked depth and emotion, but so had his own. She had confused him, and he realized that after their year apart, he might not know her as well as he thought he had. She had shown growth, and maturity when fighting, as well as strength when facing her inner demons. He knew that she understood the loss of a parent the same way that he did, but he could tell that the loss of Aquarius had changed her even more. 

She was no longer immature and youthful, but she was still to be admired. He understood her struggles and felt a decent amount of guilt for not staying by her side when she needed him. Although he still felt that leaving to address the changes the curse was having on him was the right decision, he wished that he could have stayed by her side in her time of loss. 

Exiting the shower to dress he tried to reassess his position. He wanted to have faith in her, to believe that she could be his salvation. He wondered if the growth she had experienced would be enough to give her the needed strength to overcome the curse, However, even with all of her changes he still knew that at her age, it simply didn't matter. She could grow stronger than Makarov himself, and it still wouldn't matter.  
If he chose to involve her into this aspect of his life her life would be on the line. As he was about to depart for the party, he strengthened his resolve. He couldn't let Lucy get to him, and that meant he needed to keep putting distance between them. Although it was the harder road to travel, it was safest for them both. 

Opening the door to exit their shared suite he returned to his original conclusion; a chance at his salvation wasn’t worth risking her life; he chose death and damnation once again.


	9. Chapter 9

The party was in full swing, and the live music was incredible. Where Juvia had gotten one of Fiore’s best bands no one knew. She seemed to be weaving wonders for all of Fairy Tail to witness. Lucy had assisted her best friend Levy with getting ready. They both looked stunning in their party attire. After much discussion Levy chose to keep her hair just above shoulder length and held back with a stunning silver silk scarf that matched the dainty dress she wore. Although she didn’t frequently wear dresses, this one suited her perfectly. Its silver halter top added emphasis to her curves, (apparently she had been a late bloomer, as the past year had increased her bust sized to nearly average). The dress was tied together with a deep blue waistband, and had matching non-attached silver and blue sleeves, that skimmed her wrists pleasantly. 

The two girls were seated close to the library whispering to one another quietly. They spoke about dragon slayers and the odd mood swings that accompanied them. How they sometimes sulked, and how bossy they could be. Levy did her best impersonation of Gajeel threatening to arrest her, and Lucy nearly fell out of her seat from laughing so heartily. The two women had missed each others company and were so thrilled to have a chance to catch up. Lucy was a little surprised that Levy and Gajeel’s relationship hadn’t progressed further over the past year; especially since Levy had accepted her feelings for the iron dragon slayer before the disbandment.  
Levy explained that Gajeel thought he wasn’t old enough to be seeking a ‘serious’ girlfriend. Although Levy didn’t understand; she felt deep in her heart that if he wasn’t ready now, he would still be worth it in the end. Lucy tried to press the bluenette for more information but Levy quickly turned the tables on her best friend. Levy prodded her with questions about her personal life, causing Lucy to blush uncontrollably and admitted that she had kissed Natsu the day before. When Levy pressed for more information Lucy ended the topic explaining that she had no idea if it was a one-time deal or not.   
Lucy effortlessly changed the topic, explaining politely that she didn’t want to talk about Natsu when Mavis only knew who would be listening. They instead talked about how excited they were for Juvia and Gray to be having a baby; and what type of gift they wanted to buy them. Erza, overhearing the conversation quickly and loudly joined in, announcing that she would be the best auntie, and buy the baby its first piece of armour. Cana laughed rambunctiously and vowed to buy the kiddo its first drink. With the topic of alcohol in the air, Levy, and Lucy headed to the open bar for some refreshments. 

__

On the other side of the well-decorated guildhall, Natsu entered the room. His cheeks were covered with a deep red blush, every dragon slayer within the guild hall had heard Lucy herself admit to being kissed by him. He hadn’t had a chance to discuss how he planned to handle the curse that affected him with his fellow dragon slayers. He wanted to tell them what was going on between him and Lucy at the last dragon meeting, but there had been no chance. Now that Lucy had discussed their kiss, all the other dragon slayers were going to find out his self-control was less than under control.  
Laxus walked up to him and jabbed him in the rib cage. Laughing loudly for all the guild to hear. Wendy elegantly walked over to her Alpha, and with a beaming smiled asked Natsu if he had changed his mind. Natsu sunk a little lower, and the shame seeped in a little deeper.   
“No, Wendy. I’m still not going to bring Lucy into this world.” Natsu mumbled for slayers ears only.  
Cobra gave him a deep and concerned look. He didn’t know much about what was going on, but he could only assume by the amount of shame his new king was showing, that whatever it was, it wasn’t a best case scenario.  
Gajeel kept his distance, he remained in the corner on the opposite end of the guild, muttering to himself that he sounded pathetic. He wouldn’t admit it out loud for anyone to hear, but it was killing him inside to know that the younger firebrat had reach maturity before him. He hated knowing the girl of his dreams was standing there waiting for him, and all he could do was wait for a few more birthdays to roll around. 

As the iron dragon slayer mopped to himself his blue haired team walked directly up to him.  
“Hey Gajeel, I was thinking, how about you officially join Team Shadow Gear?”  
Gajeel scoffed loudly and shook his head lightly in mock amusement.  
“I added my name to the board half an hour ago shrimp, right beside yours.”  
Levy jumped into the air and then engulfed him in a hug nearly pulling him of his seat with her excited movements. After she was done hopping about she easily squeezed onto his lap, with her arms wrapped around his neck.   
“I’m so glad! We’ll be able to go on missions together, and train together! It will be wonderful!” She joyfully spoke while seated in his lap. Gajeel scoffed a second time.  
“It’s not like I didn’t go with you before shrimp,” He spoke with his gruff voice, but allowed himself to take some pleasure from their embrace. He could smell the sweet fruity scent that naturally occurred just along her neck, and he wrapped his hands around her before whispering for her ears alone. Careful to make sure the slayers wouldn’t be able to pick it up. “Gihee, I don’t understand what the big deal is, but I’m Glad you’re happy Lev.”   
She smiled brightly for him to see. It was a name that no one else called her, and that he only used when no one else could hear. It was intimate, and personal, a secret kept for just the two of them to share. Gajeel always tried to keep to himself, but he was starting to let her in more and more, and this name was a sign of that.   
With the women he cared for above all else wrapped in his arms, a rush of happiness filled him. He wanted her, and knew that she wanted him, and for now that was all that mattered. 

_  
The night rolled on, and Lucy floated around the room as only a fairy could. She joined Erza and Jellal for a few drinks, but they were amongst the first to head to their ‘rooms’. Although she had a sneaking suspicion that the two wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon. After the two had parted from the party, Lucy continued to bounce from cluster of mages to the next. She even shared a drink with Laxus. She had originally planned on finding out why he wasn’t on the Council of Fairies, but when she had tried to question him he simply laughed at her and told her to ‘go ask her boyfriend.’ Lucy had wanted to question him more, but knew it was a very bad idea to anger him while he was drinking. After her failed attempt at information she, tried to attack the problem at the source, heading straight for Natsu. It seemed that he had been avoiding her since last night, and she had more than a few questions for him.   
She had originally intended to simply approach him, get a few answers and head to bed for the evening. However, every time she tried to talk to him, he would take off in the opposite direction. He had gone to the bathroom at least three times, and even help Mira run the bar for nearly half and hour. She was growing impatient and her anger was starting to flare. She deserved some answers, and she didn’t care if that meant causing a scene.   
She stormed up to him not caring that she was slightly intoxicated, or that he was surrounded by people. She meant to demand he speak to her at once, but her temper took over and her self-control was thrown out the window.  
“Natsu Dragneel! Why the hell are being such an ASS!” She shouted loudly to the fire breathing dragon slayer. Natsu who was in the middle of a conversation with Gray, and Elfman, was surprised by her behavior. Usually, Lucy was graceful and patient. He guessed that alcohol her breath had helped with the loss of her restraint. 

With Lucy’s loud outburst the guild quieted noticeably. Natsu was very, very grateful that the two men he had been conversing with were both in serious relationship. Neither of them stopped to mock him, or threw more gasoline onto the fire standing in front of him named ‘’Lucy’. Instead of harassing him or Lucy Elfman turned on his heels and shouted: “A real man fights his own battles.” As he walked away to go seek out his girlfriend. Gray on the other simply smiled at Lucy, and got the hell outta dodge. Whispering under his breath a helpful piece of advice to his adoptive brother. “Ya know, the library over there is probably empty right now.”   
A year ago Grey would have torment his best friend slash rival; however, after months of being married to a *slightly* sensitive water mage, he knew that privacy was necessary. It would be cruel not only to Natsu, but also to Lucy if he had picked on the new couple. He thought to himself that he could mock Natsu in the morning when the dust had settled. 

Taking the advice, the ice mage offered, Natsu grabbed Lucy by the wrist and dragged her into nearby empty Library. Using his left hand to cover her mouth until they had passed the library doors.  
“Ghess Luce, you didn’t have to yell at me in front of everyone you know!” He mumbled in self defense, instantly regretting not holding his tongue. Her eyes glazed with unbridled fury, and he would be shocked if he managed to escape this conversation without a Lucy kick to the gut.  
“Oh! I’m sorry Natsu,” she spoke with mock sarcasm, “here I thought ALL I was doing was pointing out that you’re being a huge idiot! WHAT is with you lately? You’ve been controlling, and forceful, and mean to me! You kiss me, then spend the entire party avoiding me, without even an explanation! What on earth happened to ‘my’ Natsu?” Lucy’s voice went from gale-force winds to trembling, over the course of just four sentences. She could feel tears starting to pool in the corner of her eyes, but she didn’t know if it was anger or sorrow that placed them there. She was furious with the way Natsu had been treating her, and terrified that the Natsu she used to know what gone for good, replaced with a new jerk who didn’t care about her at all. 

Natsu could sense the meaning of her words, even though the ones she spoke were full of anger. He looked back on his behaviour over the last week, and realize that since returning to Magnolia he had shifted more into a dragon, and less of a friend. He had been acting like everything that he hated about dragons. A real dragon avoided humans, especially when they felt shame; a real dragon struggled to control its anger; and a real dragon often forgot that humans needed them to slow down and explain what was going on.   
With the spotlight turned on his behaviour he knew he only had one course of action left. One he had been avoiding for over a year. He had immaturely hoped it would never need to occur, that he would never need to tell her the truth about his shame. He had wanted to keep Lucy in the dark, away from the shame of his curse; just like a real dragon would have done. He realized that his actions had been very wrong, they had hurt her. He now understood that in order to fix this he needed to be honest with Lucy. With realization dawning on him, he faced down a moment that had brought him nightmares for month after month. This was going to be hard. Not just because it was difficult to explain, but because it meant showing courage, and admitting his weakness to the women he both cared for and feared above all others. She didn’t know it, but her words had the power to hurt him in ways no one else’s could, and he feared what she might say to him.  
Would she think that he was a monster? Would she hate him? Would she turn him away, and not want to be his friend anymore? He knew that she wouldn’t understand that he was doing everything within his power to protect her, and keep her safe. He even reunited Fairy Tail so that she would have a family when he needed to say his final goodbyes. Maybe she would never understand him, and that might cause her to hate him more, but it didn’t matter; she deserved the truth. He squared his shoulders and took the first step.   
“Ok Lucy, your right, I’ve been unbearable. I’m sorry for the way that I’ve been, and I would promise that it will never happen again, but the honest truth is it probably will. If you’re willing to listen Luce, then I think its time I tell you the truth.”   
The tears in Lucy’s eyes receded; she didn’t know what in all of Fiore Natsu was talking about, but she wanted to find out. She still had so many doubts, but he had offered her truth, and with the light of truth leading the way she followed him to a comfortable looking couch and sat down.  
Natsu had meant to start of slowly, and calmly explain what the curse was after apologizing to the celestial mage, but his train of thought ran away, and dived right into.   
“Everyone knows what a dragon slayer is, but what no one knows, is that ever real dragon, and every dragon slayer has a secret. We are all affected by a curse, one so strong it controls our future, our destiny, and sometimes even our deaths. Real dragons are all born with a soul mate, someone they are intended to spend their lives with, and once both dragons are old enough they face that curse together.” Natsu paused for a moment, his explanation had started off sounding more like a story than reality. He tried again to choose his words with more care, hoping that if he explained it well enough that Lucy wouldn’t be angry, and instead would understand his situation.   
“Legend tells us, that dragon slayers, are really just reincarnated dragons, who must wander through life looking for the reincarnation of their soul mate. Without their other half, a dragon slayer can never gain control over their powers.”  
Lucy interrupted Natsu “Natsu that’s ridiculous, you’ve had control over fire since you were little.”  
He made a goofy face at her, and pushed her slightly with his left hand “Ya, thanks Luce, I already knew that. That’s not what I’m talking about. Dragon slayers have a kind of dormant power. It’s an unmeasurable strength, comparable only to fully matured dragons, this power stays dormant until the dragon or dragon slayer reaches adulthood.”   
“oooooh,” Lucy nodded in understanding.   
“As I was saying, until a dragon claims their mate they are unable to gain control over their powers; and although this sounds like an easy task it's not. There are challenges to overcome, and most importantly, if the dragon slayer chooses improperly they will kill the person they thought was their match. Sometimes, a dragon slayer can try to take their mate to soon, and when that happens they both get killed in the process.” Natsu took a pause, then asked “Do you understand Lucy?”

Lucy got very quiet for a few moments before choosing her words with care. “So you’re telling me that the reason you have been a huge jerk is because you think you are being affected by this curse. You aren’t able to control all of your power, and therefore, aren’t able to control all of your instincts. Instincts like beating up Loki, and kissing me in the bathroom.”  
“Sort of.” Natsu replied. Although he was trying his best, he didn’t catch the unspoken implication Lucy had just asked him.   
“I see, then I forgive you for kissing me.” Lucy’s voice sounded hurt, and the tears started to pool in her eyes again. She turned her torso away from him, and got up off the couch. She headed for the exit of the Library. As her hand reached the doorknob, Natsu spoke in a voice that carried with it some of the pain and anxiety he felt he was being suffocated by.   
“Lucy, If I let myself fall in love with you, and something went wrong, it would literally kill you, that’s not a risk I can take with you; you’re my best friend.”   
Lucy nodded her head before exiting the library. She managed to hold the tears at bay until she reached her apartment suit. Making sure the silence feature was still in effect, she closed her bedroom door and let the tears fall, making no attempt to hold them at bay.

__  
His anger flaring, Natsu knew trying to rejoin the party was far from a good idea. He exited the library his eyes reflecting his inner flames. Making a b line for the stairs that lead outdoors, he marched ignoring all the other mages who stared at him in confusion. He reached the top, and found Gajeel waiting for him.  
“Let’s take a walk Salamander.” He casually suggested to his alpha.  
“Get lost Black Steel.” Natsu growled to the man blocking his path  
“Is that an order? Or a suggestion?” Gajeel spoke with his usually snide behaviour.  
“Suggestion. Now Move.” Natsu stated in a more than threatening tone his voice holding with it a threat for violence, if he ‘suggestion’ wasn’t taken very seriously.  
“Fine,” Gajeel submitted raising his hands in the air; “but before I do, you might wanna take a whiff.”  
With his impatience to get the iron slayer to move aside, his curiosity got the better of him. Natsu took a sniff of the air, hoping that the iron slayer would move out of his way as he did. It was subtle, so subtle in fact that even at just two paces away a normal slayer wouldn’t have picked it up. Natsu’s noise was better than all of the other slayers; being the Alpha meant having abilities like sense of smell, hearing, strength, and magical power increased even more than a fully matured dragon. With a groan of frustration Natsu realized the point Gajeel was making.  
“Alright, let's take that walk.”  
__

The two slayers started at a walk until they reached the edge of Magnolia, as they entered the forest their walk turned into a run, lasting roughly twenty minutes until they reached a large pond, with benches all around it. The pond was stunning, and if you were familiar with the area you would know that by swimming below the surface you could reach the entrance of a cave.   
It was stunning in the evening light, and far from any civilization. It was the perfect place for two slayers to hold a personal conversation. The location kept them far from prying ears or spying eyes, and the run there helped both of them to blow off steam. Natsu’s temper was no longer flaring, and Gajeel no longer felt like pacing. The two slayers were both to moody to both with friendly behaviour, and small talk, so Natsu jumped right in.  
“When?”  
“When you and bunny girl were fighting.”  
“How”  
“I don’t know, I think I’m older than you, but I’m not ‘that’ old”. His voice was filled with anxiety. “Shrimp isn’t old enough for this shit yet; she’s only eighteen.”  
“She might be twenty before you hit stage two, your chances are still pretty good Gajeel.” Natsu reassured his subordinate. Gajeel nodded his head and started to pace. Anxiety slipping back into his thoughts.   
All of this was a lot to process. Yesterday he had to accept a new alpha, and today he had to accept that he was facing down the barrel of a figurative gun. His only chance at survival was risking the life of the girl he wanted more than anything. It was terrifying, but at least he could finally start pursuing her the way he had wanted to over the last year.   
The transition had been so sudden, even the flap of a humming bird’s wings seemed slow in comparison. He had agreed to join Team Shadow Gear, and she had hugged him; that was normal enough. He had been thinking about that the way things were was enough; it was all he needed. She had asked him to dance, and although he would have normally laughed at her, he agreed. It was so important to make her happy, he had no choice but to do as she asked.   
As he stood to follow her until the dance floor she walked ahead of him, letting her hand trail just slightly behind her. It was an unspoken invitation to hold her hand. There was no obligation, just a silent unspoken request. He had no reason to let the entire guild see him walking hand in hand with the woman, but for some undenounced reason he was unable to refuse her; he reached forward towards her.   
As his hand grasped hers he felt a sudden shock of electricity rush through him, for an instant his heart stood still. He quickly recovered and followed her onto the dance floor. He was confused, so he played it cool. He knew that she wanted to dance, and he knew that he had to get out of the guild before the other slayers picked up on the very tiny change in his scent. As long as they were more than a few feet a way he would be ok, it was still so subtle that no one but the alpha would be able to pick it up from a distance. He danced with her, enjoying the smile that spread across her face. He had no doubt that she was the one he was meant to pick. He had known for a long while that she was the only girl he would ever been interested in. It was all a matter of time now, as soon as he hit stage two she would be fair game. The countdown had started, and he had some decisions to make. He finished his dance and whispered into her ear that he needed some air. She nodded her head, and he left, taking the stairs two at a time. 

His daydreaming complete Gajeel was forced to think about his new predicament. Mavis, this was so frustrating. He wanted her, but he didn’t want to be under all of these obligations so soon, he didn’t want to have to face this curse, and all that it entailed.   
The irony of the situation had finally hit Natsu and he chuckled lightly.  
“Fuck right off fire breath!” Gajeel yelled at him.  
Natsu continued to chuckled before explaining. “It’s just, yesterday I was going to name you my second, if I had you wouldn’t be able to challenge me, but now, because of this I think I’ll have to pick Laxus instead.”   
“Fuck that.” Gajeel started. “Keep your Alpha Job Salamander, I don’t want it.”   
“Are you sure? I promise I’ll take it easy on you if you challenge me.” Natsu retorted.   
“Keep it, I don’t want it. Just smell yourself, you’ve matured to late forties in a year, I don’t want that kind of stress.”  
“Don’t I know it. I fucking hate this, you have no idea what a relief it will be to have another adult around.” Natsu jabbed at the iron dragon slayer.   
“Mavis, Natsu, I’m not a real adult yet, its still only day one for me, I’ve got a whole year of fighting my own powers ahead of me.” Gajeel spoke in frustration.  
Natsu scoffed slightly. “Just try not to melt a mountain cause some idiot stole your cat’s fish.” Natsu spoke while chuckling to himself; finding his previous loss of control ironic.  
Gajeel laughed heartily. “I should have known you had to be affected by some girl to get that strong.”  
The two men pushed each other back and fourth light heartedly before heading in the direction of their guild once more.  
“I’ll be your second fire breath.” It was a statement, of trust and absolute loyalty. Gajeel was voluntarily taking on the role of defending Natsu with his very life. It was a position of honor. It brought honor both to the second and to the Alpha.   
Natsu nodded in acknowledgement before taking off for a record-setting run. “Let’s see how long it takes you to learn to keep up.” Natsu boasted, taking advantage of his fully matured speed. Gajeel tore off after him, and could already feel the hints of extra strength and agility seeping into his muscles and bones.   
Gajeel reached the guild just two or three minutes after his Alpha, it was the fastest he had ever run, and he was more than a little excited to start unlocking his new powers.   
Natsu muttered to him on his way down the stairs to his suite. “Tomorrow, I’ll start training you, when Sting and Rogue get here I’ll make the announcement, go ahead and tell her if you want too.”  
Although Laxus and Cobra had no idea what Natsu was talking about, Gajeel silently nodded from the top floor, and went to retrieve the girl who one day would be his mate. He had some big news to tell her.  
_

The morning had come, and Team Natsu’s suit still smelled of salt water tears. The evening before Natsu had tried to walk into Lucy’s room and talk to her some more, but she was asleep, and Freed’s enchantment blocked him from entering. He went to bed feeling like a complete failure as a mate. He wasn’t even a real mate yet; he knew he may never be. He doubted he would ever forgive himself for making her cry, and knew that his single greatest regret would be not allowing himself to love her. He paced in his room, and tried to sleep half a dozen times. He finally passed out from pure exhaustion just three hours before the tournament was scheduled to begin.   
Waking up early from his fitful sleep, Natsu decided the best course of action was to get up, and get some food. He had personally vowed to oversee the tournament, and fight any applicant who he thought might not be strong enough. He knew sometimes one on one matched ended too soon, and that a more experienced mage could come in handy. Helping to decide if the winning applicant was truly ready to join the alliance.   
____ 

Lucy woke a few hours later, it was still early morning, and she knew that her audition was not scheduled for another hour, if the fights went quickly. She groggily made her way to the fridge in the attached kitchen. She wanted something to eat, and was to tired to remember that fully cooked food was just a staircase away.   
As she opened the door to the fridge, and was completely surprised. It held a full prepared plate of pancakes topped with whipped cream and strawberries. The plate was neatly wrapped, on top of it was an single white tulip, and note that held just one word: ‘Sorry’. The handwriting was far from elegant, and it was easy to place it as Natsu’s. She was surprised by the thoughtfulness of his actions.   
Although she was still completely baffled by the situation between the two of them, she unused to such a thoughtful gesture. Not only had he gotten her a flower that actually symbolized peace and forgiveness, but he knew her well enough to leave her a meal so she could eat in solitude while her slowly woke up. The simple act reminded her of the time Natsu had uprooted an entire Rainbow tree, and set it sailing down the river for her. It dawned on her, that if ever he chose to, Natsu could really be a loving partner. She sat at the small table enjoying her food and the peace and quite, the tournament raging on above her. 

__--

The fights were nearly over, and most of Fairy Tail had been weaned from the running. So far the only ‘fighters’ that Natsu had given the go ahead too were Mira, Erza, Laxus, Jellal, Mest, Cobra, Gajeel and surprisingly Levy. Although Natsu had suspected she had received some inside information to give her an upper hand.   
The remaining fights were Wendy vs. Freed and Lucy vs. Lisanna. The list of eliminated fighters included Cana, Elfman, Jet, Evergreen, Bickslow, Dory, and Kinana.  
As Lucy entered the main seating area Wendy and Freed entered the fighting ring. Natsu yelled for the fight to begin, while staring at Lucy for some form of acknowledgement. If she went straight for the buffet line, then he would know she hadn’t even gotten his apology. She waved lightly, and forced a smile onto her lips. He could tell that she was making a heart fuelled effort to be ok. He knew it was going to be hard for her for the first day or two, but he remained adamant that it was better to tell her now, before either of them could get hurt by their own emotions. He wanted to giver her as much warning as possible, and save her as much heartache as possible.

As the fight between Freed and Wendy began most of Fairy Tail was stunned to see Wendy turn on her dragon force with minimal effort before the fight had even began. She grew an aggressive set of wings, and the two mages took to the air, and began to engage in hand to hand combat.   
Freed keep trying to use Dark Ecriture Magic on the sky maiden, but her superior light based dragon magic completely nullified his attacks. She was strong enough to defeat a demon of Tartarus, a single dark mage didn’t stand a chance against her. She breathed in more air, and screamed a dragon roar at him while in mid-flight. He narrowly dodged the attack, without realizing the trap she had created for him. It seemed the tiny sky maiden was rapidly becoming a tactician, her superior plan had the older mage dodging her attacks, until she was directly behind him. She reached out both of her hand and placed them on either side of his head. She whispered sweetly into his ear, and he dropped to the ground like a swatted fly.   
The only fighters who had heard her attack were her fellow dragon slayers. None of them recognized it, but all understood the single word she had spoke in dragon tongue: “Sleep”. It seemed the little girl had learnt a very useful offensive spell to accompany her new tactical abilities. The guild cheered her success, she was rapidly growing more and more powerful. No doubt when she came of age she would be a serious contender as Fairy Tail’s strongest wizard.  
The victory was clear so the ring was cleared. Leaving only the final match between Lucy and Lisanna to take place. Lucy headed toward the ring, as did Lisanna. The take over mage shifted into a new viper form, being covered in scales, and sporting an intimidating pair of venomous fangs.   
Lucy called forth her strongest spirit Taurus, and shifted into her Taurus form. Her muscles bulged slightly more than usual, and her well sculpted stomach gained six visible abs, clearly defined.   
As the last scheduled fight the two girls had a large crowd. All of whom were disappointed that the fighting had gone by so quickly. Lisanna stood no chance against the brawn of the larger bull fighter, especially when accompanied by the celestial mage. Lucy had her pinned to the ropes, and pushed her completely out of the ring in under three minutes of sparing.  
The crowd began to clap, before Natsu’s voice thundered above them. “No” His voice bellowed. “ If you what a shot at this Lucy, you’re gone have to do a hell of a lot better than that.”   
“Come and get me them, Mr. hot shot” Lucy argued back. Sure he could dish it out, but she was angry, and everyone knew that a pissed off Lucy rivaled Erza herself. Maybe not in magical ability, but certainly in anger.  
Natsu catapulted himself into the ring in one fluid motion. He burst into a roaring ball of fire and launched himself directly at Lucy. Before his eyes Lucy disappeared. She had managed to perform a forced gate closer, and silently summon Virgo without anyone even noticing. Virgo was carefully drilling without damaging any of the rooms around and beneath them. Her Magical powers giving her an immense ability to understand the placement of rooms within the rock. Lucy popped up like a goffer on the other side of the ring, and Natsu sneered loudly.  
“Good try Lucy, but I can tell the difference between you and the Gemini twins any day.” With his words the crowd ooohed and awed. Looking around to try and spot the real Lucy. She popped up at her original location and effective stole Natsu’s attention. As Lucy called forth Capricorn, Gemini in Lucy form sunk back into the hole beneath the ring. While Lucy, Capricorn, and Virgo attacked, Gemini summoned a spirit bellow the sparing ring.  
Natsu was fighting off three assailants at once, while trying not to hurt the blonde one, then before he knew it he was completely surrounded in water. The attack seemed similar to Juvia’s water lock technique, except it was more like a moving stream he was forced within, than a circular bubble of water. With the water surrounding him the three attackers backed off.   
“What da ya say Natsu? Do you think I’m good enough now?”   
Natsu nodded his head, completely at ease with his decision. She had proved she was strong enough to hold her ground against him, and that gained her respect from her guildmates and the fire dragon slayer.  
Lucy yelled to Gemini “You can all come up!”  
With her command given both the Lucy form Gemini twins, as well as Aquarius merged forth from the hole Virgo had created.   
“Virgo why don’t you fix that before we damage Juvia’s hard work.” Lucy instructed her spirit. Virgo got to work, and Lucy rushed forward to hug her oldest and dearest spirit.   
“There is a hot tub outside, I’ll meet you there if you like?” Lucy invited Aquarius. The normally temperamental spirit remained soft and kind hearted.   
“I’ve got to run; I’ve got a date.” The two hugged goodbye briefly before Aquarius, along with all of her other spirits closed their gates and returned to the spirit world.  
Natsu still in shock asked Lucy. “How did you get Aquarius’s key back Luce?”  
“I didn’t” she spoke while pulling the broken key out from under her skirt. “Gemini had a copy of Aquarius’s key saved in her ‘Lucy Form’. The downside is I can never let Gemini copy me, or the Aquarius key will be lost forever; but it’s a price worth paying to stay in contact with my oldest friend, even if I only get to see her once in a blue moon, it's enough.”  
Natsu once again was forced to appreciate the ingenious of the blonde haired mage. She could be so brilliant he sometimes wondered why she chose to remain a friend with him; someone who was less that literate.

The fighting completed the Council of Fairies gathered together and proceeded off to a private office to discuss whom they would be bringing with them for the rescue mission. 

The afternoon had passed by smoothly. It had been a typical Fairy Tail day. A few friendly matches had taken place, and many members of the guild had gone topside to train, and develop their magical powers.  
With dinner fast approaching most of Fairy Tail’s members started to head back towards the guild. Lucy hung back, her appetite still not in full strength. She knew it was unreasonable to be so upset over what had happened between her and Natsu, they weren’t a real couple. They had on really just kissed a few times, but she felt that those few times had been more intimate than a real relationship. She felt bare and exposed, and it hurt her deeply to feel so rejected.   
She sat under the bows of a nearby tree, trying to lose herself in a novel. She had chosen this story perfectly, it was about a heroic woman who faced many challenges, and overcame them with the help of her trusty panther. There was no time wasted on romantics, and the victory was hers alone. Lucy loved this story, and had read it twice already. It always seemed to help her feel more confident and capable. When she and Loki had broken up this novel helped her learn to develop her independence. She loved the idea that all a women needed was herself and the assistance of a trusty sidekick. She related the main character’s panther to her own celestial spirits.

Shadows began to grow long, and the sun started to dim, the hinting’s of the day coming to an end. With her nose still in her book, Lucy was taken completely by surprise when she was thrown to the rough ground. She screamed loudly and reached for her keys in self-defence. Only to hear a soft warm giggle beside her ear.   
“Get off of her Yukino!” Sting directed the bubbling white haired celestial wizard.  
“Yukino!” Lucy squealed in delight. Realizing whom her attacker had been she began to hug her back, the two celestial mages wrapped around one another in a large intimate heap on the dirt floor.  
Once the two had completed their hug, Yukino turned to a red-cheeked Sting for help to stand. Lucy, without realizing the effect her previous embrace had had on the two young males stud on her own. Both dragon slayers were unable to meet her in the eyes, and seemed content to look at their toes. Minerva on the other stood her distant, and looked off to the sky. Lucy could tell that the portal controller still felt uncomfortable around her. The battle between the two wizards at the Grand Magic Games had become legendary throughout Fiore; although Lucy hated that it made her seem weak; it certainly gave Minerva a reputation as heartless and cruel. Lucy, always hopeful, and seeking the best out in others approached her previous competition, and offered her an outstretched hand.   
Minerva looked at the peace offering with confusion and disbelief. She had only come to this alliance meeting because Rogue had insisted. She had anticipated hostility, and possible revenge to be directed at her the entirety of this alliance. Instead she was greeted by the women she had hurt the most with warmth. The kindness baffled her, and left her hesitant to accept the outstretched hand.  
“I’m so glad to see you again Minerva,” Lucy spoke.  
“Yes, well, Rogue insisted I attend to help mend some broken bridges,” Minerva hesitantly replied.  
“Consider this one mended,” Lucy replied while stepping forward and placing her arms comfortingly around Minerva’s shoulders.  
At first Minerva almost pushed the hug away, she wasn’t one for physical affection, and this was far past her comfort zone. However, she knew that by allowing this one hug, she was mending a bridge, that she had previously tried to burn to a crisp. The hug Lucy offered her was not only a hug, but absolution to the cruelty she had displayed. Minerva awkwardly lifted her own arms, and placed them on the blonde’s back, accepting the kindness, and forgiveness. Their hug was brief, and as soon as possible Minerva pulled away.   
“Yes, well, I believe we have an alliance meeting to attend.” She spoke as she turned and lead the way back towards the guild. The four Sabertooth members reached the guildhall and stood a hundred yards away from the entrance. They paused in confusion.   
“Lucy, sweetie, we would be happy to help you rebuild.” Yukino spoke kindly to her fellow celestial mage.  
“Ohh, I think we’re all right,” Lucy giggle “I promise you will all fit inside.”   
“Are you sure?” Sting scoffed in disbelief. He was sure that the tiny hut before them was not capable of holding the near thirty mages who planned on attending this alliance meeting.   
Lucy nodded her head and opened the door for her friends. She allowed them through the entrance before leading the way down the stairs.  
The group of Sabertooth mages was more than a little impressed. What they had thought was a simple hut, was a cover for the finest guildhall they had ever seen. It held three levels underground and was large enough to offer rooms for every member of Fairy Tail, as well as hosting all its attending guests. The guild was tasteful, and brilliantly practical. It took into account not only every day usefulness, but it also accounted for the behaviour and lifestyle of its members. 

After the mages had a chance to place their belongings in the offered guest rooms they followed Lucy back up to the main guild area, then up a staircase that was off to the side. It leaded to a large collection of guild offices, one in particular seemed the largest. Although it was labeled with Master Makarov's name it seemed to double as a conference room. Holding over twenty chairs, each looked comfortable, and yet also practical. The four Saber members began taking seats around the table. Lucy headed back down to the main guild area, and waited to hear if she had ben chosen to join her own guild’s representatives.

In another office Erza took charge once more. “Alright everyone, it seems that our guests have arrived, and we have come to our decisions. If you all will head over to master Makarov's office I will make the announcements.” Erza quickly spoke  
The council of Fairies walked in a single file out of Erza’s office, and into Master Makarov’s. Natsu winked evilly at his fellow dragon slayers, all of whom knew full well who had been selected. Their powerful ears allowed them to hear the entire council meeting, as Natsu ‘absentmindedly’ forgot to engage the silence feature on the door when he closed it earlier in the day. 

Standing on top of the loft’s office entrance Erza addressed the members of Fairy Tail bellow her. Her voice rang out for the guild below her.   
“We the Council of Fairies have chosen the following members to attend join the alliance; Levy, Wendy, Erik, and Laxus, would you please join us upstairs. We have also decided to ask some of you to stay and protect our home. Thunder God Tribe, Cana, and Elfman, would you all join us in attend this meeting. Finally, based on her display today of superior fighting technique, and her increased abilities displayed when fighting Tartarus, we would like to offer an invitation to are only celestial wizard; Lucy. Not only to join the alliance meeting, but also to join us on the Council of Fairies.

Lucy was shocked by the invitation. She had hoped to be invited to join the alliance, but had even thought about joining the council. Why had they offered her an invitation? Was her little scuffle with Natsu so impressive that she had earned her place? Maybe it was because she had summoned the Celestial King? She couldn’t understand why Laxus not also invited to join the council? It seemed odd to her that the master’s own son wasn’t in charge, let alone not even invited on to the council of people in charge. In time she would have to ask Erza, and Mira all about it. Her curiosity slowing her down, Lucy rushed along to catch up with the other alliance attendees. She reached the conference room, and took the last available seat, between Erza and Natsu. Once she was seated the meeting began. 

“Thank you all for attending,” Porlyusica’s voice rang out. “I am Porlyusica, currently the oldest member of Fairy Tail, let's cut the small talk, and get down to business. Everyone say your name, and your power., before we being to devise a strategy.”  
A long list of Fairy Tail members began announcing their names and powers, followed by the four mages Sabertooth had sent, then the four from Blue Pegasus: Ren, Hibiki, Eve, and Jenny. Finally, Lamia Scale announced themselves, they had sent the smallest party of only three; Leon, Chelia, and Sherry. Leon apologized for not having a fourth member, but explained that Toby had hurt his paw, and Yuka had stayed behind to help him recover. 

Their names and powers explained it was time to get a clearer idea of what they were facing. With that intention in mind, Erza invited Hibiki to take the floor and inform everyone of what was going on.  
“I’m sure many if not all of you have gathered here thinking this was to be a rescue mission. I am here to inform you that is only half true. Over the last month, I have been using my archive magic to gather information on the SSS-Class wizards who have gone missing. We have discovered that the wizards have been infected by a virus of sorts.”   
Eve joined in; “This virus, it's not like anything we have ever seen, it seems to be made out of destruction magic.”   
“If this is destruction magic, could it be the work of Zeref or his followers?” Leon questioned.  
“I’m afraid not, we were able to get a picture of the wizard in charge of this magic, they seem to be some kind of toxic necromancer,” Hibiki explained.  
“Is this wizard raising Demons live Zeref?” Mira asked.   
“Not at all, he or she seems to raising the recently dead, and infecting them with some sort of black goo, the host than carries this goo to an chosen target. Once they reach their intended target they release the goo onto them, and drop dead once again.”   
“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard of” Lucy whispered to herself, under her breath. She began to wonder and chose to spoke up.   
“What happens when the host affect its victim, and what type of victims are being targeted?”   
“Great question,” Hibiki encouraged. “So far the only targets have been SS-class wizards are higher. When they are infected they seem to relinquish their self-control, and their magic turns black like the goo they are infected with. We have a picture of Jura raising a black mountain that blocked passageway that was needed to travel between the twin mountain ranges.”  
Sherry gasped aloud. “So Jura hasn’t gone mad? He’s simply infected with some kind of dark magic?” Although her words were sad they held a hint of hope to them.  
“Yes, Jura as well as Makarov, Master Bob, Warrdon Sequen, Yajima, Guildarts, Ichiya, Ogra Nanagear, and Rofus Lore have all been victims of this infection. We believe that the only way to cure them is to kill or imprison the Necromancer. The problem is to get to the Necromancer, we must defeat some of Fiore’s Strongest Mages without killing them.” 

The large group of powerful wizards fell silent, processing the enormous task before them. How would they be able to fight multiple members of the Ten Wizard Saints? Whom among them would be able to fight their own Guild Masters? What chance did they have of rescuing their leaders, and mentors, when they were the ones they would be battling against.

It was Natsu who spoke up first.  
“It sounds like fun!” He cheered, and everyone around him groaned. “Seriously, everyone, it can’t be all that bad. Master Makarov is tough, but at least his Fairy Law won't work on us. Jura is Strong, but Laxus already beat him once. I know none of the Dragon Slayers can take on Ichiya, but I think if we chose to stretch these fights over the course of a few days, and only let the mages equivalent of SS-class or higher fight one on one we should be ok.”  
“Natsu that’s ridiculous, we only have 4 S-class ranked wizards here! We don’t even know who among us has grown strong enough to test for SS-class, let alone test for SSS class.” Erza scolded the younger slayer.  
“I know that Erza, I’m not a baka, I was suggesting we hold an informal S-class test. To see who is strong enough to hold the rank. I know it won't count towards achieving S-class recognition, but it should allow us to gauge who can safely fight on their own”   
“We don’t have time for that” Mirajane chimed in. Knowing how long the S-class trails could last.  
“I think we do, if we use a MPF to test everyone’s strength.” Natsu suggested.   
“I like the way you think; a Magic Power Finder would really help us plan our attacks better.” Minerva spoke up.   
“Alright Natsu, that’s not a bad idea.” Erza spoke, seeing the brilliance in his idea she added in “Anyone who can reach, or beat Jura’s high score of 8544 gets to fight a one on one battle. And I just so happen to have the perfect MPF.”   
“Wait you have an MPF?” Ren questioned the scarlet haired mage.  
“Yes, a friend of mine on The Magic Council asked me to test a newly designed one. They made it after Cana broke their previous model. This sounds like the perfect opportunity to try it out.”

With the decision to test everyone’s powers made, the meeting was temporarily moved to the largest outdoor magical sparing ring. Each mage present would have a chance to test their strength against the MPF. Once all of their abilities were calculated the group of alliance members would be able to safely create a battle strategy.  
The crowd grew around the sparing ring. Ever member of Fairy Tail had circled the area, as well as many of the townsfolk. All of them wanting to see who the best wizard was.   
“Alright everyone, calm down.” Erza ordered in a voice that could move mountains. “The MPF that was used at our latest Grand Magic Game had a maximum capacity of 9 999 before it would break. Therefore, the current high score, set by our own Cana Alberona 10 000. This new MPF has a magical capacity of 99 999 or so they tell me. In order to qualify for a one on one battle you must score at least 9 000, anything lower than that and you will be partnered, or teamed up with other alliance members.”   
As Erza spoke the heads of everyone around her nodded in understanding. With the rules explained, the display of power began. Hibiki was the first to go, stating that he wanted a chance to retry to MPF. He pointed his Blast Force attack at the MPF and scored a new high record for himself of 214. His team filled into line behind him, Ren scored 315 with his Aerial Phose Attack. Jenny scored a meager 157 with her battle form assault. Eve scored just above her with a White Fury Attack, earning himself 189 points.   
After Blue Pegasus had taken their turn Lamia Scale stepped up eager to see how they ranked. Sherry Started with a rock doll attack, and got 314 points, Leon went after her, and scored 7758 points with his Snow Magic Blizzard Attack. He was completely impressed with himself, and although he was sad he would have partnered up, he was happy to have proved how strong his guild was. After Leon had completed his turn Chelia stepped forward and shot her Sky God Bellow at the MPF. The large attack earned her 5012 points, everyone was very impressed by her high score, especially for someone so young.  
With Lamia Scale’s turn complete, Minerva walked to the MPF, she cast her only attack spell, that sadly was not nearly as strong as her teleportation magic, but was the only spell she had that was compatible with the MPF. Her Yagdo Rigora spell was created, and a blast ensued from the giant statue it created. The blast received a whopping 10 755 points, the highest of the day. After her attack was complete she smiled sweetly to Rogue, the smile indicated it was his turn to go next, but it was odd seeing something that looked so gentle and kind on her lips.   
With Rogue’s turn indicated he turned on his dragon force, and walked towards the MPF he sent a dark black shadow dragon roar at the MPF, the crowd was shocked to read a gigantic score of 20 579. **  
The challenge clearly issued to his guild master, and brother** Sting repeated the action. Shifting into his dragon force, he sent a blaring white light dragon roar at the MPF, and was rewarded with a score of 21 003. Sting Jumped into the air, victorious. He turned around and hugged the young Yukino. She smiled brightly and encouraged her guild master.  
Cobra was eager to take his turn so he sneered towards the white dragon slayer. ** “If you could let the damn girl go for a second she could take her turn ya know.”   
Sting realized that he had been holding the young celestial mage for far too long, and released her instantly so that she could take her own turn.   
Yukino walked towards the MPF and pulled a black Key out of her key collection. She raised the key high in the air and summed forth Ophiuchus; the Snake Charmer. With the black celestial gate open, a giant serpent appeared, and towered at least three stories high.  
“Hello Ophiuschus, would you hit the MPG with your venom accantus attack please?”  
The Gigantic black serpent nodded its head and shot out a stream of magical acid at the MPF. With the attack, complete Ophiuschus was returned to the spirit world, as the black cloud of her exit cleared the entire crowd was shocked to read the MPF. Yukino had scored nearly as high as the dragon slayers she was with. The attack Ophiuschus had used earned Yukino a score of 9 763. Sting lifted her into a spinning embrace and the two cheered her success.  
Cobra spoke once more. “Man, I’d love to borrow that snake of yours sometimes, looks like she can pack a tasty lunch.”  
Yukino nodded, understanding the meaning behind the poison dragon slayer’s words.   
With a bold bravado Cobra walked towards the MPF. He hadn’t had a chance to display his wicked skills since he had last fought Jellal, and it was about damn time he could show off. He snapped his fingers and shifted into Dragon Drive Mode then approached the MPF. He planted both of his feet squarely and bellowed out a poison dragon roar. He seemed rather disappointed that the attach only earned him 19 856 points. He had hoped to beat the twin dragon slayers, but it seemed that without accessing dragon force it wasn’t possible.   
After cobra’s attack the other members of Fairy Tail started to line up behind the MPF. Erza went first and released her heaven wheel attack. The attack easily earned her 25 897 points, placing her heavily into first place. After Erza’s attack Wendy stepped forward and unleashed her dragon force, she sent forward Her Sky Dragon Roar, and received 20 354 points. The young bluenette was shocked by her own strength and Rogue clearly grimaced at the score. He was feeling a bit threatened by the young girl’s success. Erza on the other hand was very proud of the younger slayer and hugged her profusely. Cobra turned on his heels and stomped away. Knowing he was beaten by the younger sky maiden was enough to ruin his day.   
Mirajane approached the young sky maiden and praised her up and down before shifting into her Satan Soul Sitri attacking the MPF with her strongest attack. Scoring herself 25 896 points. She smiled at Erza still in her demon soul, the smirk seemed evil to it’s core, clearly implying that the two were still rivals for success.  
Avoiding contact with the demon soul that stood nearby, Mest approached the nearby MPF and attacked it with a memory bomb. Sadly, his magic was similar enough to Minerva’s that he also did not have a large quantity of offensive spells. His memory bomb attacked earned him a lowly 578 points, and he walked away feeling defeated by the magical device.  
After Mest had completed his turn Laxus stepped forward and shifted into his Lighting Dragon Drive. He Roared at the MPF and scored 26 878. The highest score yet. He flashed a victories hand sign to the crowd and returned to his seat. Clearly pleased with his ability to beat both Titania and the She-demon.  
Once Laxus had taken his turn Jellal felt the need to step in, almost like the honor of his women had been insulted. He stood back and started the chant for his True Heavenly Body Magic Sema Attack. The attack covered the entirety of the sparing ring, and everyone took several steps back waiting to see the strength of a previous Wizard Saint. On his cue the attack released and the ground around the MPF became indented by the strength. The MPF displayed an enormous 47 865 points.   
With his position still in tack Jellal returned to the side of his scarlet haired girlfriend, pleased that he had been able to put Laxus back in his place. As he walked away Levy walked towards the MPF. She pointed her finger towards it, and looked away. Shielding her eyes from the iminate destruction. She wrote in one quick motion with her solid script magic the word “INFERNO”. It tore through the air like a bullet. It hit the MPF and sent a blast of scorching hot air in every direction. Ever member of Fairy Tail was shocked to read that their tiny bookworm had scored a gigantic 19 578, placing just behind Cobra. Her fellow teammates cheered for her, and she blushed deeply. She looked for her iron dragon slayer to approve her success, and met his eyes with a glowing smile. The evening the two had just shared still filled her with pride.  
Natsu was whispering in an inaudible tone for anyone but the nearby Gajeel to hear. Laxus was the first to speak. “Hey, you’re not allowed to coach the bucket of nails. Tell him to shut up Gajeel and take your turn.”   
“Gihee, fine,” Gajeel spoke and grumpily strolled towards the MPF. As he approached the MPF he passed Levy and whispered to her. “Great job shrimp!” He followed the statement with a subtle wink.  
Once he reached the MPF he counted off ten steps from it, and took a deep rooted stance. He closed his eyes and focused on the ground around him. He turned on his dragon force mode, for the first time in his life. His body shifted into dark silver scales as he held onto his dragon force. He shifted even deeper in his stance, and stepped into his shadow dragon mode combining the dragon force, with the shadow dragon mode. It was unlike anything he had every done before his body became cloaked in shadows, and covered in scales. While he remained in control for a short minute he released a massive “Iron Shadow Dragon Roar at the MPF. His attack was so massive it scorched the ground with black filth, and pushed the MPF back several feet. The machine froze for a moment before flashing the new high score of 51 532 points. Gajeel Smirked massively, and cockily strolled towards the blue haired solid script mage. He placed his arm around her waist, and grinned into her hair. 

Lucy waited for Natsu to take his turn next, but instead he gestured to her to go ahead. As she approached the MPF Loke opened his own gate and ran towards it, his fist covered in his regulus magic. Loke punched the machine with all his might, and scored 6 998 points. He hollered loudly, and jumped in the air.   
Lucy began to scold the misbehaving spirit. “Loke would you get lost! You messed up my plan!”   
“No way, that was an awesome score!”   
“Uggh,” Lucy whined “Can I go again? I swear to Mavis I had something better planned! He just jumped in out of nowhere!”   
Erza nodded her head and granted the Celestial mage another chance. Lucy asked Loke to leave so that she could focus, and as he puffed away in a cloud of white smoke Lucy issued Erza a ‘Thank you’ wave.  
She then closed her eyes and sat on the ground. She folded her legs one on top of the other, it was a position only someone who meditated regular could pull off. With her legs crossed and eyes closed, Lucy yelled towards the heavens.  
“CELESTIAL QUEEN FORM!” Lucy’s clothing transformed into a long black dress with slits on either side from above the hip until the slits reached the floor. Lucy was shrouded from head to toe in a stunning black lace cloak. The cloak held hints of a deep shimmering purple, and silver gems that glittered in the daylight.  
Erza and the others looked amongst themselves. They had never heard of a celestial queen. As Lucy sat, gold stardust began to rain down from the clouds in the sky. Lucy stood up in one swift movement, and opened her eyes. The eyes that normally were kind and chocolate coloured, now were completely consumed in gold. They shown out into the day as one might think an angel’s eyes would. With her hands pointing forward palms outreached towards the MPF. Lucy took one single step forward to the MPF and whispered in a ragged breath. “May the Queen of Night grant me her strength, may the stars rain down upon me, and smite my enemy; Stellae Vincere Exitium”.   
With her command a stream of destructive gold rushed from Lucy’s hand and into the MPF. The gold stream sent a long continues blast of destruction at the MPF. The stream of gold pushed the MPF farther and farther towards the edge of the sparing ring. The magic that flickered off of the MPF sparkled brightly before hitting the ground and coating it in a thick blanket of gold color star dust. When the MPF reached the edge of the sparing ring Lucy closed the palm of her hands into first again. She returned to a seated position, and spoke one simple word: “Dispell.” As she opened her eyes the crowd stood silent. Completely in awe of the women who stood before them. No one had seen a celestial wizard like her before, she had performed a spell even Levy didn’t recognize. Yukino rushed towards her and hugged the blonde haired wizard.   
“Lucy you HAVE to teach me that!” Yukino was full of amazement for her fellow celestial spirit.   
“I can’t.” Lucy smiled lightly. “It’s a form only granted to those who have summoned the Celestial Spirit King. In order to learn it you must sacrifice one of your gold keys. It’s designed so that no Celestial wizard will ever have to suffer the loss of two golden keys, its strength is only able to be defeated by the Celestial King himself.”   
Yukino stood in complete shock. Although the power Lucy had displayed was amazing beyond words, she would never willingly choose to lose the friendship she had with either of her spirits for a chance to gain such a power. Golden keys were more than rare, and there were no duplicates. Lucy still being able to see Aquarius was a huge fluke, and came at a very high cost. By not allowing Gemini to copy a stronger version of herself, she would never be able to open as many gates as she would be able to if Gemini copies her once more. It was a good strategy, as it allowed her to keep one of her strongest spirits available to her, but tactically it had some huge flaws as well.

The two celestial mages embraced for a moment longer before Natsu approached the blonde haired celestial mage.  
“Lucy! That was AMAZING! I knew you had it in you! He cheered her. All the while knowing that she had indeed has such strength. His own magical strength was attached to hers in some small way, and because of that, he never doubted her. Although, he regularly chose to push her to further success.  
“What did I score?” Lucy asked her best friend who seemed jubilant at her success.  
“You’ve had the highest score yet, you even beat Gajeel. You scored 55 984 points!” Natsu cheered for her.  
Lucy felt dizzy, she must have heard him wrong, she ducked around Natsu, and looked for the MPF to read its score for herself. When her eyes reached it she stumbled and fell to the ground in shock; she read the number out loud, repeating the numbers that Natsu had just spoken.   
“There is no way, that I’m the strongest. It's not possible...” Lucy stuttered in disbelief.  
“Not unless I beat you” Natsu grinned. He chuckled loudly to himself.  
Lucy nodded her head but remained seated. She had no idea that the power she had been practicing for the past several months ranked so high. She knew it was strong but had no idea that she now qualified for the S class trials, let alone, being able to fight the great Titania.  
Natsu winked at her and whispered into her ear ‘Wish me luck’ before walking towards the MPF.  
Where the regular Natsu would have simply fired off his strongest attack, and not worried about the result, he chose instead to walk up to the MPF and drag it back into the very center of the sparing ring.   
With its position now fortified, Natsu looked over to Freed.  
“Freed, add another barrier around this ring would ya?”   
The crowd scoffed at him, and many of the opposing guilds shouted out against him.  
“You don’t have to be cocky Natsu”  
“No one else did it any damage just get on with the show!” They demanded.   
Natsu stood still and waited for Freed to follow his instructions. Freed shrugged his shoulders, and added an entire second barrier to the already well secured sparing ring. He felt it was more than overkill; however, he knew what it was like to feel like you had to hold back to keep others safe. If a second barrier granted Natsu enough peace of mind to not need to hold back then so be it.   
Natsu spoke once more.  
“Everyone take a step back; just in case.”  
Everyone laughed, like the boastful behaviour was a typical Natsu joke. However, Natsu refused to move until everyone followed his command. The first to move was Gajeel, he took three very large steps back. Erza noticed how quickly Gajeel was to follow Natsu’s suggestions and she quickly followed his movement. With two of Fiore’s strongest mages heading Natsu’s advice the entire group took three large steps backwards.   
Natsu finally nodded his head, and planted his feet. His actions resembled the ones that Gajeel had taken just a few moments before. He bent his knees, and bounced on his heels ever so lightly before planting them deeply. Rooting himself in the start dust covered dirt. Natsu closed his eyes and then shifted into his Dragon Force. His entire being began to slowly be covered in scales.   
Lucy had never seen anything like it. There had been a few times that she had seen dragon force, but never once had it taken over a person completely. As the last of Natsu’s skin began to cover in deep red scales, the tiniest of horn sprouted from the sides of his head. No one had ever seen a dragon slayer grow horns before, and everyone gasped in shock.

Freed realized that whatever Natsu was doing was far more serious that he had originally calculated, and as Natsu completed his transition Freed added a third barrier to his magic sparing circle.   
Natsu’s eyes had turned to slits, and his horns were as well formed as was possible in stage one of the curse. With his full dragon force achieved Natsu released his lightning dragon drive. When the drive was released lightning began to roll over his deep red scales. The bolts lapped at his fingertips.   
The lightning began to form bolts along his arms, and started to move in circular methodic motion. Natsu’s eyes faced the MPF, and he set his entire body into one gigantic meteor of flame. He stood in the center of a meteorite his flames reaching the top of Freed first enchantment. The heat he emitted cracked the first barrier. His lightning started to expand from his skin, and began to start traveling along the flames that engulfed him, the two combining together much like a unison raid, they swirled around him began to look like a tornado. As the heat he emitted started to lap at the barriers surrounding the sparing ring, as well as the MPF it began to display a number as if it had been hit. The first number it displayed was 236, then it jumped to 567, and continued to jump all the way to 2 468 as Natsu prepared to release his attack.   
Natsu began to take in a large ball of air, his chest expanded. It looked to all who knew him that he was going to be directing a dragon roar at the MPF like all the other dragon slayers had done. However, instead of bringing his hands to his mouth like he usually did to form a funnel, Natsu instead pulled them behind him. The motion looking identical to the way his arms appeared when he normal released a dragon wing attack.  
Natsu finished consuming as much air as he could, and began to not just roar, but to also rush his arms forward as like when her completed a wing attack, the two combined together and just at he began to release the attack from his body Natsu bellowed towards the MPF “DRAGON FORCE: DRAGON WRATH!!”  
With this attack phrase complete the gigantic ball of intertwined flame and lightning flashed across the sparing rings and landed squarely on the MPF. The destructive power of his attack caused not only the first layer of Freed’s enchantment to shatter to the ground but also the second. The third began to crack, and melted in some spots like overheated glass. As his attack started to die down the MPF shattered down the middle, splitting effectively into two.   
The entire sparing ring had caught on fire, and Juvia rushed in between the sparing ring and the pool. Pulling all of the water from the pool she flooded the sparing ring, and doused the grass fire with the pool water. Juvia used the remaining collection of water to trap Natsu in her water lock. The day before a nearly identical cage had him admitting defeat. However, this time he simply smiled at the attempt. No one seemed to notice that yesterday he had chosen not to fight the attack because it was Lucy who had wielded it. Today, was a different story. In his dragon-like state, he had no reason to hold back, no reason to be anything other than the dragon he currently thought he was. He lite himself on fire once more, Juvia’s entire water lock evaporating instantly into a gigantic cloud of steam.   
The steam spread from the sparing ring outwards and began to cover almost all of the field that belonged to Fairy Tail. Erza yelled for Wendy to blow it away, and with a gently command over the wind the entire cloud was risen from the ground, and lifted into the sky.   
Wendy looked around, first noticing the MPF which Flashed a shocking score of 99 999 above its two broken halves. She then noticing that although most of the guild remain where they had been watching the MPF trails, Lucy and Natsu were nowhere to be found. Their scent took off in six opposite directions. Wendy wanted to go searching for Lucy at once, but Gajeel spoke to her and the other slayers from his seat across the field.   
“Don’t bother guys, one of the Alpha’s many abilities is that he can create false scent trails. We couldn’t find him unless he wanted us to. Wherever he took Bunny Girl, lets hope he keeps her safe, both from danger and from himself.”


	10. Chapter 10

Lucy sat indignantly in a heap on the cold stone floor. Just moments before Natsu had thrown her over his shoulder and speed off through a forest. She had no idea what he wanted, and had struggled against him until he put her down; seemingly indifferent to the fists she had been pounding into his back.

She had thought when he put her down next to the calm still pond that maybe he just wanted to talk in peace. She appreciated the serenity of the location he had picked out and started to walk towards a nearby bench. Lucy was completely taken by surprise when he grabbed her wrist and jumped into the pool of water; dragging her along with him.

Lucy hadn’t prepared to go underwater and tried to struggle against him. Summoning her strength she planned to escape to the far-off surface so that she could fill her lungs with much-needed air. Her struggling was in vain, and she began to panic. Her terror strengthened her, and she pushed Natsu away twice. He finally overpowered her and forced his lips onto her own. She wanted to refuse him the intimacy, and push him away again, but he held her in place and forced oxygen into her lungs.

With the need for air sated temporarily, rationality started to creep into her senses. She noticed that her partner wasn’t trying to drag her to a watery grave, but instead was leading her to an underwater cave. If she had stayed calm, and not let panic get the better of her; she would have seen the dark entrance only a few feet away from her.  
He took hold of her hand once more, and the two swam the remaining distance. They swam through the rounded cave entrance until they broke the waters surface. A smile briefly spread across her face, she was glad to have unlimited access to air, and not need to fear for her safety. However, the feeling was only temporary. Natsu quickly hoisted her back into his arms and carried her into the pitch black cold cave.   
He plopped her down in a corner like a sack of potatoes and walked away. She wasn’t sure if he was exploring the cave, or looking for something in particular. She sat in the dark for several minutes, thinking that his increased senses must allow him to see in the darkness far easier than any human. Time passed away unchecked and her eyes still hadn’t adjusted to the pitch black darkness.

She had thought about escape, but knew it would be an exercise in futility, she probably wouldn’t even make it to the underwater cave entrance before he dragged her back. She had never seen him act so animalistic, and it made her nervous to be alone with him. She could hear his footsteps approaching but it echoed off the walls and she couldn’t place the direction; that was until she saw the soft glow of an orange flame. 

He remained in his dragon form, but his left hand was covered in a flame. His clothes seemed to be dry, a was the pile of driftwood he held under his right arm. He dumped the pile of wood at Lucy’s feet and leaned forward, touching the peeling bark with his flaming hand. It caught quickly and before long the flames began to reach the larger logs, creating much-needed heat for the celestial wizard.

The room now glowed from the cozy fire; it wasn’t as spacious as Lucy had thought it would be. The entire cavern seemed to be about the same size as her living room in Crocus, although the ceiling was much higher. She could see a few small areas where the ceiling had tiny moss covered gaps, allowing the smoke from their fire to escape and join the night sky.  
She huddled into the delicious heat and warmed herself. She had originally been mad, but now she was feeling more and more concerned for her teammate. She had never seen him like this and was worried that this form was dangerous for him. She recalled the conversation they had had with the real dragons after Tartarous. The dragons had all been warned the slayers about turning into dragons themselves. She wondered if was Natsu turning into a real dragon? Was there anything she could do to save her best friend? She had no idea what to do; so she did the only thing she could think of, she asked him to explain.

“Natsu?” He looked up at her, his eyes still flaming, remained in single slits like that of a real dragon.   
“Natsu what is going on? Are you still in there?” he didn’t respond, instead, he just stared at her, watching her every movement like a cat watches a mouse. She tried a second time.

“Natsu are you still in there?” She looked at him with hope clearly plastered on her face. She watched as he lowered himself to his hands and feet in a predatory crouch. He titled his head to the side slightly, as if trying to understand her words.

“Natsu, please you're scaring me.” Her voice quivered slightly, and she began to wonder if maybe she should escape and run for help. However, she had no idea how she would be able to escape him, his instincts were clearly in charge, and he would have no problem tracking her through the nearby forest. His head tilted to the other side, and he paused to process the words she had just spoken. A low rumble sounded from his chest before she heard him speak, his voice barely audible.   
“Luce?”   
“Natsu?! You are in there! OH thank Mavis! You scared me you, idiot.” She spoke with a new rush of relief. Being trapped in here was bearable, as long as he was with her, and they weren’t in any immediate danger. His head slowly returned to a normal position before he nodded slowly for her. His eyes were glazed with confusion, as he looked to his best friend. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and she feared how much of him was trapped within this dragon form. She needed to find a way to snap him out of it.

She walked over to him and crouched beside him. She carefully mirrored his position on hands and knees; before reaching her hand out towards his own. She touched his fingers and then wrapped her hand around his. She pulled the enclosed hand up to her face and placed it lightly against her check. She leaned in closer so that their noses nearly touched.

“Natsu? It’s me,” She spoke, trying to draw him out of his instinctual form. His gaze poured into her eyes, searching for something. Whatever he was looking for he must have found because his gaze shifted from her eyes to her cheek, seeing his scaled hand caressing her he jolted and pulled away. He scampered to the other side of the wall and placed his back against it. Slowly he pulled his hands in front of him and examined the deep red scales. He used his right arm to touch his left, sliding his newly formed talons along the deep red scales. He had never seen himself like this; the shock was pulling him out of his dragon force form. The talons returned to fingertips, and the scales began to recede. The dainty horns that had framed his face turned into a golden glitter and disintegrated into a pile of shimmering dust. He walked to the water's edge and peered at his own reflection temporarily lost in a trance. A moment later he turned to his teammate and best friend, confusion swept over his expression.

“Lucy? How did we get here, what happened? I don’t remember…” His voice trailed off for a brief moment; but before his celestial mage could answer him realization hit. “I don’t remember, OH Mavis!” He raked his hand through his hair “I don’t remember! No, it’s too soon,” His words confusing her.   
“Natsu?” She questioned. Trying to get some kind of idea as to what was going on.   
“Oh Lucy, Lucy please tell me I haven’t hurt you! Are you ok Luce?” He rushed towards her and placed his hand on her shoulders. Looking her up and down, searching her for some kind of sign, although she didn’t know what.   
“I’m fine Natsu, just confused… What's going on? Are you ok?” She rambled on, desperation for an explanation slipping into her question. 

Natsu began to pace back and fourth. He spoke in broken sentences, and the heat he was emitting caused the entire cave to start feeling like the inside of an oven.  
“No time… But Makarov, no…Run?…Alpha?…Safe?… Save Luce” 

“Save me from what?” She questioned him. 

“Me. Save you from me!” His voice sounded shrill anxiety controlling his thoughts.   
“Natsu that’s ridiculous, you would never hurt me, even when you were all dragoned out just now you didn’t hurt me.”  
He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to her. He looked terrified, and when he spoke his voice was filled with paranoia.

“Lucy, I need you to leave, now, while I’m still me. Run to the guild, or the spirit realm, run somewhere and stay there, don’t ever come looking for me.”

She was offended by his harsh words. Did he think so lowly of her? He was scared, that much she could tell, but did he really think she could abandon her best friend when he needed her?  
“Natsu Dragneel! What in all of Fiore is going on? I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on!” Her voice sounded firm even thought her insides quaked with fear. She had never seen him so panicked, and that worried her to no end.  
“Lucy! You need to run; RUN before I end up killing you.” He started to push her towards the waterfront. She spun around and slapped him across the face; leaving a bright red imprint of her palm across his cheek.   
“Enough Natsu! I’m not going anywhere, now stop ‘trying’ to scare me, and tell me what the hell is going on!” She crossed her arms, and firmly sat on the ground. She had no intention of moving until he explained exactly what was going on. 

He resumed his pacing, but this time, he tried to explain what was going on with every step he took.   
“This is because of the curse. I can’t remember getting those scales, or coming here. Memory loss; it’s a symptom of the curse, and it doesn’t happen in stage one.” He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down enough to give her an explanation.

“Natsu, can we just go back to the guild?” Lucy's voice sounded both scared and hopeful. She was glad that Natsu was back to normal, and hoped that meant that they could return to their guild. 

“It’s not that simple Luce! I either fight against the Gods, or I accept my destiny." Natsu huffed in frustration. "Reaching stage two means I’m losing my self-control, and the next time I do you won't be able to make me shift back. I could hurt someone, I could hurt you...” He hung his head low in shame. He would do anything to avoid hurting the people around him.

“I told you already, you won't hurt me Natsu, I’ll be fine, I’ll stay with you, we’ll beat this together.” Lucy sounded firm, almost like she knew what she was talking about; sadly that wasn't the case. 

“You don’t understand it won't be ‘me’ who is hurting you Luce. It will be the dragon version of me." He raked his hand through his hair in frustration once more, before continuing his explanation. "When dragons are rejected they go feral, and need to be put down.” 

He roared into the cavern top with frustration. He had tried to explain it to her once already, and the more he tried the more difficult it seemed. She kept trying to help him, kept insisting that she stay with him, she had no idea what a horrible idea that was. 

“Lucy! Don’t you get it yet? It's you, you’re the person I’m supposed to be with. When a dragon slayer hits stage two of the curse they have to claim their mate to survive. For me that’s you. That’s why you need to run Lucy because I don’t want to hurt you. IF you leave now you'll be safe, I'll slip back into my dragon form, and as long as you are far, far away from me I won't go feral. If you stay, you’ll reject me, and if you reject me I'll go mad. I might end up killing us both.”

She tilted her head, trying to understand the man in front of her. She could see he was anxious, and that he was letting fear get the better of him. She knew that if they were going to get anywhere with him she needed to help him calm down. She stood from her spot on the floor and walked over to him. At first, she tried to get him to sit down, but he was too fidgety; so she settled for just stopping the pacing. She turned him around so that he faced away from her, and started to run her fingers down the length of his back.

Even if it was over his vest it felt amazing. Every time she lifted her fingernails back up to his shoulders he could feel the hairs along his neck raise. After that, she would drag her fingers down along his spine, and send a shiver racing through him. With her rubbing at his back, his breathing began to slow, and the racing of his heart returned to nearly normal levels.

“See Natsu, I’m helping already.” She smiled to herself brightly. “Now tell me, what exactly does it mean for a dragon slayer to claim their mate? Do you just need to bite me, or maybe mark me with your fire?”

Natsu gulped. “No, it's uhh, a fair bit more physical….” His cheeks reddened and he tried to pull away from her. He had never before been ashamed to be a dragon slayer. However, standing there having to admit to her that for a dragon to claim a mate they had to engage in the most primal of acts, filled him with embarrassment and shame.

“I see,” Lucy paused to chew on her lower lip. 

His head sank even deeper “It’ll hurt you, Luce, I can’t do that to you”.

The irony plowed over her like a storm capsizing a boat. The Natsu she knew would never be able to hurt anyone, and since he had somehow learned that taking a girl’s virginity was painful to her, he refused to ever consider it. It was so typically Natsu, he was so concerned with the idea that he might hurt someone he was willing to risk his own safety to avoid the possibility. 

“You won't hurt me, I promise.” She tried to reassure him but seemed to fail at it. 

He didn’t understand, Igneel had explained the process to him from beginning to embarrassing end. Igneel had explained in excruciating detail how hurting the girl, in the beginning, was unavoidable. He had always hated that part, the fact that there was no way to avoid hurting someone to really love them properly. 

“I, don’t understand…” He trailed off, turning around to look into her eyes. He stared deeply trying to seek some kind of answer from within her eyes. 

She knew that this was probably going to be her only opportunity to tell him the truth about her past.  
“For girls it usually only hurts the first time, since it won't be my first time, you won't hurt me.” She had so much more she wanted to say, so many excuses and explanations she wanted to give. But the words escaped her, her voice frozen within her.

The look that he gave her cut her to her very core. The rage he showed when he battled a fierce opponent was now pointed at her.  
“What does that mean Lucy?” Rage boiled just bellow the surface of his voice and caused her to turn away from him.   
He aggressively grabbed her wrist and forced her to look at him. Just moments before she had calmed him, it seemed that her efforts were, now, in vein. Without his knowledge, his eyes shifted back into slits, and scales began to return to his cheeks, making his intense stare look malice, and damming. 

Accusations and jealousy rolled over him. For the second time this week he was forced into doubting her. He had so many questions and was ready to fry whoever had touched his mate into a charcoal pile of ash. 

She tried to speak, tried to explain, but her efforts were for not. Her breathing became ragged and she pulled out of his grip. She seized the opportunity caused by her shocking truth and ran away from him. Without forethought she dived into the water, trying to escape both him and her past. 

She knew that she had let him down, that he would hate her now. Once she had finally admitted her indiscretions to him she knew it would be the end of whatever they had. Now that he knew about her past the illusion was shattered. She knew that by having past experience, he would reject her. She knew deep down, in that place that she refused to acknowledge, that she wanted to be with him, but that he would reject her. 

She had tried to move on from him, and when she did she had foolishly turned to Loke for comfort. That one mistake had ruined every chance she had ever had with Natsu. At the time, it didn’t matter because being with Natsu was just a suppressed fantasy. She had never thought that one day they would be a possibility. That one day he would grow into a man. 

Now he was a man; one who would hate her because she had been foolish and slept with someone else.   
She had always known being with Loke was a mistake. She had come to terms with that mistake long ago. She knew that by having the past she had with Loke she had ruined her chances to be with anyone else. That’s why she worked so hard to make it work with her spirit. That was why they had dragged the relationship on for months, and why it hurt so badly when it ended. She didn’t care that they didn’t work, but it cut deeply her to know that her chance at happiness was wasted on the wrong guy. 

She hated who she was now, hated that she had been so foolish. She wanted to run away from everything. Run away from the rejection, from the hurt, from her mistakes, she swam as fast as she could. She was trying to escape her fears, her past, and the man she had foolishly hoped would one day hold her heart. 

His hand wrapped around her ankle, and she tried to squirm away. This time, it didn’t matter how much she struggled, the shock had worn off, and his control no longer wavered. He was easily able to overpower her and drag her backward to the cave she had nearly escaped. 

He broke the surface of the water first and dragged her along behind him. She thrashed in the water. Splashing water onto the stone plateau. She wanted to escape, but he tugged her into the air and threw her over his shoulder. The curve of his broad shoulder jammed into his stomach and knocked the wind out of her. She wanted to struggle against him but was forced instead to gasp for air. He turned every inch of his body into a raging inferno except for where his skin connected with hers.

The heat was suffocating, and just as she regained enough air to complain she noticed where he was walking. He walked directly towards the far wall, ever step he took brought them closer and closer to it. She tried to struggle against him once more; afraid that if he reached the wall he would place her between it and him. She didn’t want to be trapped against the wall like she had been in the bathroom just days before. 

She tried to struggle away, but he used his arm to trap her further. She braced for impact, expecting the imminent forceful relocation against the wall. Just as they reached the wall, she noticed the glow from Natsu’s flames light the space; what she had thought was a rocky wall, but it was actually a natural illusion. Where she thought a wall had been was actually a huge crevice, large enough for the two to walk through.   
Still carrying Lucy on his shoulder Natsu marched through the crevice and down the accompanying cavern that seemed to act as a hallway. He reached an off-to-the-side hollowed our cavern and step inside. Before she had a chance to examine her new surroundings she was flung onto a straw mattress. She bounced a little, and a puff of dust was toasted into the air from the weight of her rough placement. 

Lucy stared at Natsu in disbelief; he had told her to run away, and when she had he came chasing after her. Now he was trapping her against her will. She looked at her new captor, searching him up and down, and realized that the Natsu she knew was barely there. His dragon form was taking over and she was growing scared for her safety.

“Tell me!” He bellowed at her, ordering an explanation.

She wanted to suppress it all like she usually did. In spite of that, she was forced to face it. He gave her no other choice. If anyone other than Natsu had asked, she probably would have lied, tp ashamed to face her own mistakes. However, she couldn’t force herself to lie to him. She tried to push away the fears that she felt, push away all the pain she had suppressed but it bubbled uncontrollably to the surface.

“Natsu,… I…. It was a mistake…I ppp promise.” The tears began to pool in her eyes, and her breathing became erratic. She struggled for words and tried to gain control over her overwhelming emotions. 

“NOW!” He demanded, seemingly unaffected by her emotional outburst. She sniffled loudly and the tears began to trickle down her cheeks uncontrollably.

“It was in Crocus, I, I tried, tried to be happy, but I was so miserable on my own.” She sniffled once more. “Fairy Tail had disbanded, and you, you abandoned me, I was so lonely, I had no one, no one Natsu. Not a single friend, no family, no guild.” Her tears developed into uncontrolled sobs, she curled up into a ball and sobbed to herself. 

The emotions rushed over her like a tidal wave. She no longer cared what he thought of her, or what he damned from her. In that moment, nothing mattered but the despair. She sobbed profusely, mourning the life she had lost, the friendships that had fallen away, all the hurt that she had suppressed devoured her. She cried for the first time since the disbandment of Fairy Tail. For the first time, she was unable to suppress anymore.

As her words registered, he was forced into understanding her. He had left her, so had their entire team. She was forced to move on, but unlike everyone else, she had nowhere else to turn. In that moment, he couldn’t hate her because he understood her. He had mourned the loss of a father, but she had mourned the loss of ever person she cared about, losing all of them at once. The dragon within him subsided, and he slowly walked across the room. 

He sat on the bed beside her then he scooped her into his arms, and placed her on his lap. He needed to make it all ok. He hugged her tightly, hugging the broken girl in his arms. He knew that she was strong, and for her to be so emotional meant that she had been holding this back for some time. He wanted to fix all the pain but knew all he could do was hold her, and try to understand. 

“You left me Natsu!!, How could you just leave me!” She wailed while he held her in his arms. Her anger and despair took hold and she began to pound into his chest, she struggled against him, but he refused to release his hold.   
“We're Nakama Natsu, you weren’t supposed to leave me! Everyone else had a team, but you left me!” The stream of tears took hold, and she held nothing back. Her sobs grew in volume, and her body began to convulse from the expulsion of the suppressed emotions.   
He rocked her in his arms and began to whisper to her, placing his head softly against her own. “I understand” Repeating it over and over again, until she let it sink in.   
“You must hate me,” She whimpered into his embrace. Knowing that it was unfair for her to return to him a broken, used mess. No longer the perfect Lucy Heartfilla that he thought he knew.

“I don’t hate you, I was mad, I’m not anymore.” He comforted her and slowly began rubbing up and down her back. She whipped the tears away with the back of her hand and looked into his eyes. They seemed calm, caring, and concerned. She was hesitant to embrace him, but he pulled her closer and wrapped her in his arms.  
"I’m sorry,” She whimpered before she turned in his embrace, and returned the affections. Her entire body wrapped around his. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her legs twisted around his torso. 

“You don’t need to apologize, I shouldn't have been angry,” His voice was firm and unarguable. She didn’t understand the sudden change in him. Although it confused her, she appreciated the kindness he was showing her. She wanted to thank him, but words seemed inappropriate, so she chose to snuggle closer and lean her head against his warm shoulder. 

He pulled her so close that no space remained between them, he trailed his fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp. “It’s ok now. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” He spoke while comforting her with his embrace. 

She whimpered against him. “But I thought you said I had to leave you forever?” Her tears returned and dampened his vest, as she began to cry once more. Her emotions were spent, but she fought against the idea of losing him again. She tugged at his vest desperate to keep him next to her.  
“It’s too late for that now Luce.” He began to hum lightly. The vibration calming her enough that the panic subsided. Looking down at her, he knew his fate was sealed.  
She tilted her head up, meeting his gaze with her own. “Natsu,” She asked, “Please don’t leave me”. Her voice held such desperation, that he was forced to answer with complete unshielded honesty. “I promise Luce; I’ll never leave you again.” 

He flinched at his own words, knowing that his fate was now permanently intertwined with her own. She had stolen from him his freedom to walk away. It didn’t matter that she had a past; as long as she was his future. He still wanted to burn whoever touched her to ash, but that was a problem for another time. 

Peering down at her, he unwrapped his most prized position from around his neck and used it to wipe away her tears. She glowed with approval, unused to seeing such a gentle side of him. She had never seen him share his scarf before. She lifted her fingertips and lightly traced the angle of his jaw. 

His warmth was so comforting, and while she straddled his lap, she was no longer able to bottle up the truth. She wanted to be his mate. 

She had no idea what her future looked like, but she wanted him by her side through it. When she gazed into his eyes, she was gazing into her destiny. No longer feeling hesitant, and restrained by doubt, she leaned forward and placed her lips against his.

His lips were smoother than she had anticipated. All of their previous kisses had been rough, and controlling; nothing like this. This kiss held with its unspoken words, it was a submission to the gods, an acceptance of fate. They knew that when morning came they would have to return to their guild, and fight against the strongest mages in all of Fiore, but for tonight alone that fight was irrelevant. For tonight alone, nothing else mattered but the unspoken declaration they were sending to the gods. 

Natsu leaned into her, he enjoyed the sweet taste of her on his lips. Parting for a moment, he looked into her eyes, trying to understand the messages her body was sending him. He was still uneducated, but his instincts lead the way. He placed her cheeks in his palms before consuming her mouth in a passion filled kiss. Their tongues traced one another, gently testing out the new experience. Neither had ever known what it was to make love, but together they began to learn just how much pleasure it could be. 

Although Lucy had gained experience, it had never been like this. Her previous experiences had been the fulfillment of a physical desire, this was so much more; it pulled at her heart strings and filled her with a need she had never experienced. In that moment, she needed him; she needed to be comforted by him, held by him, fucked by him. For the evening, her world revolved around him, and the pleasures they would create for one another. 

Their kiss had started off gently, and delicate, but as the emotions they felt built, so did the heat between them. Natsu slid his hands from the sides of her face across her neck, and into her hair, pulling her closer to him so that he could deepen their kiss. 

Lucy’s hands traced from his neck to his shoulders then down to his toned bicepts, until her hands came upon his well-sculpted back. She had wanted to gently massage him, but her hunger for him got the better of her, and she ended up tugging him closer to her. Unable to pull away, he placed his hands on her hips and instinctively thrust his fully clothed hips up to her heated center. The feeling sent a shiver down his spine and made her light moan in anticipation of the events to come. 

She carefully focused her weight, constricting her thighs and calves that wrapped around his torso. She shifted her hips slightly farther away from his chiseled abdomen, and carefully thrusting forward. She could see the surprise in his eyes. He wasn’t aware that she possessed such a skill. Like a child presented with an irresistible candy, he lifted her up from the mattress, and she continued to straddle his waist mid-air. Her pleated skirt bunched against her hips, and his hands found their way against the smooth skin of her rounded bottom. 

She supported herself with her legs alone, and carefully tilted her hips closer to him, gently sliding her pantie covered core over his rough cotton pants, and subsequently the thick member that was trapped against her core by her constricted legs. Even with the two layers of clothing the earnest gyration still felt like heaven.  
He took a step forward, and placed her back against the nearby wall, just beside the makeshift headboard. With her back firmly planted against the wall, he lifted onto his toes, and then slowly returned to the ground. The drawn out motion allowed his clothed member to carefully slide along the center of her covered slit. He bent his knees further, and once he was low enough, he used his left hand to undo the drawstring of his pants and allowed the brown cotton clothing to fall to the floor around his ankles. 

He straightened so that her hips rested on top of his own, and she remained ignorant of his discrete elimination of clothing. Finally, able to better appreciate the feel of her dampened panties against his swollen member he returned his attention to pleasing the women he valued above all others. 

She arched her back, pressing herself against his hardened shaft, the sensation felt divine and made him want to please her more. He looked down at her and decided that she was far too overdressed. If he was going to be able to enchant her, he needed to see what he was doing. He knew that he was inexperienced and that meant he needed time to experiment. He could tell that she was eager, and that was causing her to try to lead the way. He couldn’t have it that way, he needed to take charge and prove to her just how adept he could be as a lover, even if he was naïve. 

He nipped at her neck lightly before consuming her mouth with his own. He didn’t know it then, but he was beginning to claim her as his mate. By taking charge of their shared passion, he was convincing her to submit to him; with ever submission she made his claim on her soul grew a little bit stronger.

He lustfully dominated her mouth with his own, with every sweeping motion she got more and more lost in the sensation if his touch against her skin. He began to monopolize her body with his rough hands. Running them up the side of her tights, and then over her hips, till eventually he brushed them over her ribs, tugging her top along with his magically warmed hands. She leaned forward and allowed him to lift the article of clothing over her head. Blushing slightly, at her near nakedness. Although she still wore her undergarments and skirt, the material was so dainty, that only her most intimate places remained covered. 

He grinned confidently at her, appreciating the view of her plentiful mounds, and well-trained stomach. “Damn Luce,”Her complimented her.  
Her cheeks reddened at the compliment. He had seen her naked before, but it was the first time he openly complimented her intimate exposure. She wanted to thank him for the compliment, but before she had the chance, he guided his hands down her toned abdominals until he reached the center of her skirt. 

She instantaneously panicked. If he undid her belt and threw it to the floor than her keys would demand retribution. She was about to push him away when he winked at her. With both hands, he slowly undid the belt, and slid the pouch containing her keys off of it. He handed them to her, gesturing to the nearby headboard. As she placed her keys carefully down, he began to suck at her neck and unbutton the front of her skirt. With the last metal coin threaded through its matching sewed hole, the blue pleated skirt sank to the floor, leaving her in nothing but the matching red thong and see-through bra she had chosen to wear this morning. 

He wanted to touch her, taste her but knew that only an idiot would rush something so life changing. He began to rub over the top of the red bra, stroking the swollen bosom underneath. He noticed the bright silver clasp that held the ensemble together in the front and leaned forward to flick it with his tongue. The clasp popped open and released her enticing globes for his, please. He ran his tongue greedily along the sumptuous flesh, enveloping the raised nubs with his lips. He consumed her left side while he caressed the right. He then nipped at her left bud, while he tweaked the other between his fingers. Then he repeated his actions for the opposite side. His efforts were rewarded by soft moans of pleasure, as she leaned her head against the wall.

He could feel her desire was growing, and with it, her ability to hold herself up unassisted began to falter. He took a step to the left and placed her on top of the headboard, sliding her keys carefully out of the way. With her rested on top of the makeshift wooden frame, he kissed her once more. 

She trailed her fingers along his toned stomach before she lifted them to his shoulders and slid his vest off. Her hands kneaded his shoulders, and back while he roamed her ample breast.   
With a final suck on each erect nipple, he began to create a trail of fiery kisses down her abdomen. He knelt before her valley of pleasure, the only thing between her slickened core and his lustful teasing was the thin silken garment he had previously enjoyed. With her legs dangling from his shoulders, he could see no way to remove the garment without readjusting the new position, so he decided the best decision was to simply destroy the offending piece of material.   
He winked up at her evilly and she squirmed against him, knowing the wicked glint in his eyes meant he was planning something devious. He placed his hands on her hips, then pinched the thin string on either side of her hips. He liked how the material flattered her and enjoyed seeing it on her, but he knew he would enjoy her without it much more. With the snap of his flaming fingers, he burnt the silk string on her hips. The red silk fabric was the final article of clothing to drop to the ground. 

He relished in her beauty, she was beauty in the form of a golden-haired goddess. He loved the smoothness of her cream colored skin, and how her curves exulted her. Kneeling before her, he sent a single prayer to the heavens. He prayed that this goddess, perfection incarnated was whom the gods had intended for him and that she would belong to him from this moment on. 

Once the thought of prayers and wishes had exited his mind, all that was left was to worship her body with his own. He kissed her nether lips with tenderness, taking a moment to appreciate how sweet she tasted. She still tasted like lava, to him, it was sweeter and more enjoyable than any candy. He gently slid his tongue forward and flicked her delicate button with his tongue. She shivered a little in anticipation, and the simple shiver set a smile firmly on his lips.  
With a gentle hum, he began to rotate flick and sucking her most sensitive spot. Her legs spread a little wide, and he moved his index finger to her valley. At first, he slid the singular finger up and down her slit, while humming to her in his, please. Then while sucking at the sensitive button he pressed his finger into her core. She moaned loudly from the intrusion and rocked her hips closer to him. He loved the reactions that he got from her body, and with the thrust of his finger, he created a perfect rhythm with his mouth and fingers. When his tongue flicked so did his finger. Each time he flicked his digit he carefully brushed the sensitive patch of nerves within her, in perfect unison with the sensitive button at her entrance. Every time he sucked at the button of nerves his mouth caressed he would thrust his digit deeply inside her, only pulling out to thrust it back in again. 

Lucy's body began to quiver in response to his ministrations, she moaned heavily with ever touch. The more he touched her the louder she became, she realized that she was getting blissfully close to her climax, and began to draw away. She didn’t want this to end as suddenly as their previous encounter had. She wanted to escape, but there was nowhere to go. She was wrapped around him and complete exposed to him.

“Natsu, pplleaase.” She whimpered lightly. Hoping that he would understand her unspoken vexation. 

He nodded his head without even looking at her and began to nuzzle her core at a more rapid pace. Her desire to stop was instantly overshadowed by an animalistic need. He was working her into a frenzy, and she was unable to escape it. With every lap of his tongue, she mewled a little louder until her moans turned into quiet whimpers of his name. With one long drawn out sucking motion on her bundle of nerves, her whimpers turned into screams. His names never left her lips. Her legs quivered, and then wrapped tightly around him, her end was fast approaching. She screamed his name one last time, as she convulsed before him, her ecstasy consuming her completely. The sweet lava of her liquids drenched her core; but didn’t stop his ministrations. He continued to thrust his digit with her until the convolutions subsided. 

She had melted into a pool of pure pleasure, and her body grew weak from her recent orgasm. As he moved her from the headboard, she excepted him to leave her once more. She was slightly ashamed of her failures. She had wanted to please him; she wanted to be more to him than the girl she had been the other day in the bathroom. She had hoped for so much more, and although her ecstasy had been powerful, it was not as strong as her determination. 

As he paced towards the nearby bed, she was set with resolve. She would do whatever it took to convince him to stay, even if it was just to sleep alongside her. He unwrapped her legs from around him, and lowered her to the bed, she carefully knelt upon it. 

“Natsu,” she whispered, taking his hand with her own. “Natsu, would….” Her voice trailed off, as her eyes met his. She had expected him to look regretful, or perhaps even distant, like he had before; but the eyes that looked into hers were filled with a fiery passion. She had intended to ask him to stay, but as her voice trailed off, he engulfed her mouth with his own. He led her farther onto the bed, making room for himself where she had just knelt. Breaking for air, his gaze bore into her very soul. 

“Send me away Luce, tell me this was all a mistake, tell me to leave you.” His words were serious, but his voice was full of unspoken longing. His eyes were begging to stay, and his body just inches away from her own was setting her on fire with desire.

“I can’t” She spoke with determination; she had wanted him to stay more then she wanted the air in her lungs. Her independence was lost, all that mattered in that moment was that he stayed with her.

“There is no turning back from her Luce, stop me, or you’re going to be a part of this curse, I won't be able to protect you any more than I can protect myself.” His voice slipped slightly, although his civilary was clear, she could tell that he wanted the opposite of what he spoke. He wanted to stay but was forced to offer her the only bit of safety she had left. Natsu was offering her a final chance to escape this curse, and although he wanted her, he would respect her safety if she asked for it. He was giving her a choice, to choose him, or to choose security. 

She looked at the naked man before her. He was still her best friend, but he was also the man she desired. Although she wished for safety, and simplicity in a relationship, she knew that with him that wasn’t going to be the case. However, even with all the danger, the complexity, the risks of mating a dragon, she knew that no matter what; he would protect her. 

Being with Natsu meant being with someone who would protect her with his very life, someone who would do whatever it took to keep her safe, and that was all that mattered. Sure she still had doubts, and signing up to some spiritual trial by fire was no small task, but if he had her back then she could face down the gods themselves.  
Her body was still flushed from all of the endorphins, but her cheeks grew even redder at what she knew she had to stay. For a brief moment of existence, she was completely naked, her body, heart, and soul, completely defenseless to one person. As she placed the palm of her hand on his heated cheek, she looked into his eyes and said the only thing that mattered, “Natsu, I want this.” 

His heart warmed, and body hardened by her unveiled words. She wasn’t just asking him for to stay, she was choosing to join his side. Even though she didn’t know it, she was saving his life; giving him a single chance to fight off death. Once their bodies connected they would be in this curse together, both halves of one incomplete solution. With time, they would hopefully become strong enough to overcome the dangers it presented, but for now, all that mattered was right here and now. She had given him trust and was willing to risk her own life, for a chance at happiness with him. 

The idea filled him with delirium. The only girl he had ever wanted, the one he had never thought he had a chance with, had granted him her affections. He was so ecstatic that he kissed her before he knew he had wanted to. The delight he felt was causing his body to glow, ever inch of him highlighted in the soft orange light. She could see the lines that sculpted his abdominals, and the swells of his biceps. She could see the well-cut V shape of his pelvis and the growing shaft just below that. As his body glowed, she was allowed to see every inch of him like never before; it made her lick her suddenly dry lips in anticipation. 

His shaft twitched slightly in front of her, and when she looked up to see the cause she realized that he had watched her inspect him, and the twitch she had witnessed was a subconscious acknowledgment of her stare. She blushed lightly, slightly ashamed of where her perverted thoughts had taken her, but she couldn’t help but want him; not when he stood naked before her.   
His body was perfect, ever inch of him hardened either by years of training or hopes of fantasies about to be fulfilled. She wanted to do something, anything to invite him closer to her, but she had no idea how to do so. She wasn’t sure what to do, or how to act, so she decided the best thing to do was to let him take the lead. 

‘Holy Mavis’ he thought to himself, ‘what the hell do I do?’. Never had he expected her to allow him to touch her so intimately. Now she was in front of him, completely naked, happily agreeing to be his mate. Igneel had explained the a’s and b’s of it, but he didn’t explain what to actually do. Natsu knew that just jumping in was a bad idea, and although he knew he had just pleased her, it didn’t feel like enough. 

She had said that he wouldn’t hurt her, and that was a massive relief, but what was the first step? Somewhere in the midst of things he was supposed to mark her, but he wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. He looked back on how he had handled their first experience together and remembered that instinct had led the way, perhaps if he stopped thinking it would take over again. 

He knew that kissing her was the most natural thing he had ever felt. So he started with that. First, he kissed her squarly on the mouth, and then he began to kiss along the side of her neck. His hands lifted her onto hips on their own accord and began to lighly rub up and down the outside of her thighs. His kisses spread to her collar bone, and he nipped it lightly in several places, careful not to hurt her. His hands moved from the outside of her thighs to her taute stomach, where he drew small circles with his thumbs. 

As his kisses spread to her breasts, and the circles he drew began to move lower Lucy realized that he was truly inosent. She had thought at least a dozen times that he was probably the more experienced one out of the two of them, but she could tell as he kissed her, that he was truly inexperienced. A man with any experience would easily swoop down and adjust his lover into his chosen position, however, Natsu remained stiff, with a look of confusion barely hidden by his desire. She smilled lightly to herself and put a single finger to his lips. He paused and watched as she laid her back down on the straw mattress as tugged him into a kiss.

He hadn’t realized but by kissing her, he was moved into a position where he knelt on both hand and knees above her, her legs drapped on either side of him. She smiled lightly as he looked her over, and realized the change in their intimate postion. He looked both a little shy and a little excited by their new closeness. He hadn’t known how things would work as they both knelt infront of each other, but with this new angle, it was much easier to figure out. He was so close to her that he could smell the sweet and delicious hormones her body was emiting for him. She smelled sweet like strawberries and earthy like the snow on a mountain top. He couldn’t help but want her even more. Her body was calling to him, and he could no longer deny the request. 

He angled his body with her own, and feathered kisses on her lips and neck. She smiled sweetly up at him and rocked her hips onto his swollen shaft. The juices from her recent climax coated his lengthy dragon, and the warmth of her core beckoned him closer. She moaned lightly, enjoying the intimacy as he brushed against her. She repeated the stroking action, this time pushing aginst him a little more. She could see his restraint beginning to break, he would only be able to hold off for a short while longer before he decided to give into his impulses and take her as his own. With one final stroke of her core against his length, his instincts took hold. 

His eyes turned into slits, and his body began to grow deep red scales. his hands turned to talons, and he a magical pair of horns began to grow through his pink hair. He wanted to plunder her, to take everything she offered and more. His dragon side took control, and he lined himself at her enterance ready to ravish her like the dragon within him desired.   
Just as he was about to begin her voice called to him. “Stay with me Natsu.” She called him out of the darkness and placed him firmly incontrol of his senses. He grinned down at her, his typical Natsu smile, although he was stuck in his most primal form he smiled to tell her that he was still himself underneath it. She smiled back at him, and he began to thrust into her. 

She felt like hot magma pouring over him, it was unlike any sensation he had ever known. He had never known what it was like to be in heaven, but he felt he did when he was inside of her. As he slid deeper within her he couldn’t help but release a deep and earth moan. ‘Holy fuck’ he thought to himself. He had no idea what to do, but his instints lead the way. In just a brief second something in him had shifted, and his dragon form now recognized Lucy as his mate, making her protected above all others, even himself. 

He wound his hand under her back and pulled her closer to him, drawing her in for a deep and delicate kiss. When he kissed her his mouth spoke the emotions his words could not. As he began to thrust in and out of her his kiss told her about love, about lust, about how his world now revolved around her. 

She moaned loudly into his lips, unable to hold back any longer. As he lifted her into the air she rocked her hips against his own. She had never felt so full. He penetrated her to the point she was sure she couldn’t handle anymore, then he thrust even deeper. His body was pure pleasure against her own, his biceps easily held her as he thrust into her, and with every delicious movement, he penetrated her deeper and deeper. Her thoughts were consumed by him; her body began to glisten with a light layer of sweat and she closed her eyes to enjoy ever sensation that he filled her with. She moaned with every thrust and thought that nothing else would ever feel so phenomenal. 

When she thought their pleasure couldn't get any better he rotated her in the air. He shifted his back to the mattress and placed his elbows so that they held both of them up. He began to slow down his pace and then he used his hands to lift her up into the air.

Her eyes flashed open as she felt herself being raised towards the ceiling. He had managed to move them so that he was below her, and now was using his inhuman strength to literally lift her up and down so that she slid along his shaft. She had never felt anything like it, he slowly slid out of her as she was lifted higher and higher into the air. When all that was left inside of her was his crown, he would release her hips and gravity would slam her back down on top of him. She screamed when he let her go, it was more than just an adrenaline rush, it was the most incredible thing she had ever felt. 

Every time he lifted her into the air he would slide his entire length along her pleasure point, and she would moan loudly enraptured by his new found skill. Then he would let her go, her voice would give way to an uncontrolled scream. She had never felt so completely shocked. Each time gravity would pull her back down on top of him her body would tremor lightly. He penetrated her so completely, that she had no idea such a thing was possible.   
He could feel her end drawing near, ever time he slid against her inner bundle of nerves she would shudder against him, each time her shudder grew more powerful. He wanted to push her over the edge, to hear her scream his name as she collapsed over him, and his instincts told him exactly what to do.   
He lifted her into the air, but this time, when he dropped her down on top of him, he thrust himself further into her.   
She had never been so full, and couldn’t handle all the sensations her body was being sent. As they crahsed into each other her body was overtaken by an unrestarain explostion. Her eyes feel closed, and she froze in pure euphoria, her body unable to move. As she climaxed around him, Natsu knew he could no longer hold back. She pulsated against him, and each pulse squeezed against him, urging him to release his load. His voice roared into the night, accidently sending fire to the ceiling. His seed spilled into her, and he couldn’t help but close his eyes and sink into the mattress below. He had never felt such an overwhelm end, and its perfection startled him. He would never grow tired of pleasing her, it was more than just a physical action. It was a perfect reward for sharing such an intimate conection. He had always been told that this was a curse, but in the bliss of his climax, he thought to himself that maybe, just maybe it was a blessing. 

“Open your eyes, Luce.” Natsu’s voice was gentle, carefully nudging her along. She sighed in contentment, before slowly opening her eyes to look down at him. 

“NATSU!!” She screamed “YOUR ON FIRE!!!” A panic washed over her, she had felt his fire from a distance, and didn’t want to be burnt by his magical ability.   
“I’m not on fire Lucy, we are.” His correction sounded just as baffled as she felt. She had never been on fire before and she froze in shock of this new development. 

The two lovers, still entwined in their intimate embrace watched as the fire engulfed them, and set fire to the straw mattress below them. Natsu had never seen a fire like this. It was red, orange, gold, and pink, it shimmered in the darkness and engulfed them both before exploding outward, blasting the entire room with golden ash. 

“What was that?” Lucy questioned him. Completely confused by what had just happened.   
“I think, my magic just marked you,” Natsu spoke with a happily surprised voice. No dragon was allowed to tell another how a mate was marked, it simply was something that was supposed to happen as the gods intended. He lifted her up from the bed and began to search her over, looking for a sign that she had been approved as his mate by the gods. 

As he spon her around the sign of the gods approval was profoundly obvious. He chuckled to himself and took her hand. 

“What!?” Lucy’s theatrical voice asked. “WHAT HAPPEN NATSU!!” 

He led her back toward the main cavern, and from there led her to the waters edge. He sat her down on a rock and pointed her reflection behind her. Natsu lite his fist on fire, allowing light to fill the cavern. Lucy hesitantly turned her stare towards the water and gasped in shock. The upper half of her back was now covered in a massive pair of flaming dragon wings. The wings themselves were gold, orange, and red. They shimmered in the glow from the Natsu’s flame, and when his touch reached out toward her, the wings seemed to respond by growing brighter. He placed his flaming hand on her back and rubbed it gently against her skin. It seemed his new mate was now immune to his flames.  
“Luce! This is soo cool! I wonder if you can touch other flames! Maybe you can eat fire now too! What if you can use fire magic! This is AWESOME!” He cheered loudly and pounded his fist into the open air.

“Natsu!” Lucy groaned, a little unimpressed that her body had unwillingly recieved her first permanent tattoo, even if it was the most beautiful work of art she had ever seen. She grabbed his hand and before he could expect it, she tugged him with all her might sending both of them into the water bellow. She laughed wholeheartedly, happy to catch him off guard. 

The two splashed each other back and forth before Lucy wondered out loud. “Natsu, we just burnt our bed to ash, where are we going to sleep? I don’t want to go back to the guild without clean clothes to wear.”   
Natsu thought to himself for a brief second “I know just the place… Go get as dressed as you can. I'll carry you there.” Lucy nodded her head and went in search of the remainder of their clothing. Taking with her a small torch from the fire he had made earlier in the day.  
With the cavern silent, Natsu began to put his plan into action. He used his alpha thought projection for the first time and sent a brief message to his favorite blue haired dragon slayer, asking for her help.


	11. Chapter 11

Lucy awoke to the gentle sway of a hammock; the night before Natsu had carried her off into the forest as she fell asleep in his arms; all the while still clutching her keys to her chest. The small pouch she normally used to carry her keys in had been burnt to ash; along with the makeshift headboard, and all of her clothing. In preparation for returning to the world, Natsu had lent her his vest and pants. He then raced through the forest in nothing but his black boxers.  
At first, she thought his careless exposure was a terrible idea (and punched him just to make a point of her feelings), but with a little time his bright smile had easily convinced her to climb into his to be whisked away. His body heat had enveloped her completely and caused her to quickly fall asleep; their day of euphoria, and exhaustion final put to sleep; hopefully leaving her well-spent emotions permanently behind. 

 

Upon awaking she looked around and realized that she was swaying in Natsu’s bed; not the one that Juvia had made for him within the guildhall; but the hammock one in his house. Lucy had completely forgotten that he still owned this own house; having not been to it in well over a year. She wondered to herself exactly how had he end up owning property at such a young age. He must have been only a kid when he bought it. It seemed odd to her that HE would have managed such a mature purchase; she could never in a million years picture him paying a mortgage. Then again she was learning that under the surface he was much more mature than she had originally thought.  
Still wearing his clothing, she got out of the swinging bed and searched around his home; finding it surprisingly clean. When she had seen his home last, the small space had been covered in filthy dishes. Now it was oddly tidy, it wasn’t exactly clean, as it lacked some serious organization; but it was far from its usual filth. Once she thought about it; she realized that Natsu must have cleaned it before going away to train for the year. Last night was probably the first time anyone had returned to his humble abode, which meant that he and Happy hadn’t yet had a chance to destroy the place and fill it with their regular dirt and clutter.   
As she strode from the living room she walked to the kitchen in hopes of finding food. She grabbed the note off the white-ish surface while opening the fridge door. Inside she found an entire picnic basket stuffed with handmade sandwiches and delicious fruit. It looked like someone had filled it up, and dropped it off so that Natsu’s little home would have something fresh and delicious to eat.   
As she bit down on an apple she read the note written in Natsu’s recognizable scribble and poor grammar.

Mornin Luce  
Gotta meet the slayers  
Train leaves at 4  
See ya there  
PACK WARM  
She giggled to herself, happy that he had slowed down enough to think of her, while also letting her sleep in. She wandered around his cozy home, thinking about the new man in her life; truly the only ‘man’ in her life.   
Wandering around from one side of the large room to the other Lucy reflected on the recent events. She had come so far but had so much she still didn’t understand. She was happy that Natsu seemed to have returned to his normal playful self, but she worried about what these spiritual trials might be. The two of them had made so much progress, both together and with their friends; They had helped to reform their guild, had faced down a dangerous curse, and finally admitted their feelings for each other. ‘WAIT!’ she thought loudly to herself, “we ‘still’ haven’t talked about feelings” she tossed the near complaint into the deaf air, knowing it wouldn’t achieve a response. Lucy spent the next hour trying to put how she felt about Natsu into words, but every attempt she made felt wrong. She knew she wasn’t ready to say that she loved him in ‘that’ way; she cared for him deeply, and was immensely attracted to him, but she wasn’t fully ready to commit to him just yet. Last night had been a blur of passion, and addressing a painful past; it was amazing progress, but not everything was out in the open yet.   
She had been completely honest with him, and having him finally know the truth made her heart feel light with relief; however, somewhere deep, deep down she realized that until he knew ‘who’ it had been with; until they had shared all of themselves with each other, then a commitment was going to remain out of grasp.   
She didn’t want to admit those parts of herself to him, hell, she didn’t want to admit them to anyone, including herself. She felt such shame and such regret; and if she harboured such loathing for herself over her own mistakes, then there was no way she could imagine Natsu handling them with anything other than hatred towards her. Taking a minute to recenter herself she thought back to the evening before.   
It wasn’t exactly what she had pictured when she had pictured their first time together, but it was nothing if not original. After her dark confession she had expected Natsu to tear into her, and although deep down she knew that he wouldn’t hurt her physically, she still feared him to some degree. She knew that he would never touch her in harm, but his words and actions had a way of making her feel broken. When he had left last year, she had felt like she had lost her family, her home, and she knew that if he had acted on his anger, and accused her of being indecent, his words would have broken her worse than a physical blow. She had never expected Natsu to put his anger aside and put her feelings first. It was shocking to her and wonderful, he seemed to have taken her broken pieces and fitted them back together.   
The behaviour that he was showing lately was very confusing. When had he been so, so…, so much more? He wasn’t just physically stronger, he seemed to be wiser and more thoughtful. It wasn’t that he wasn’t considerate before, but now he seemed to be putting more thought into his actions and his words; it was very unlike him to put his anger on pause and act on compassion instead. He kept surprising her with his new found consideration, and she was beginning to really enjoy this side of him.   
Last night was perfect, in their own unique way. He had been furious, and animalistic, then suddenly he was forgiving and kind. The normal Natsu always made snap decisions, and occasionally granted forgiveness to an enemy on what seemed to be a whim, but his instincts were always right, and whoever he granted forgiveness to would always end up becoming a friend.  
This newer Natsu had granted her his forgiveness even though Lucy’s actions had hurt him. He knew full well that he didn’t need to forgive her; he could have yelled, screamed, or simply walked away. Instead, he chose to offer her kindness, and warmth. He had given her much more attention than his usual flighty behaviour when a girl was crying. Last year when a girl cried he had acted completely differently. If she was the one crying he would always hug her back, but never so deeply, in fact, he would do anything to avoid her crying altogether. However, last night he had comforted her in a way that held new found depth.   
Although she wasn’t familiar with this new side of her partner, she deeply appreciated it. In the past, it was his lack of maturity that had made her hesitant about being interested in him. Somehow he now seemed to be both playful energetic Natsu; who had been her teammate for the past several years, and also a newer more mature partner. There was so much about this new side of Natsu that was still a mystery to her, but she intended to find out sooner rather than later.  
She took a seat on his couch and began to mentally catalogue all of the new developments that she was going to ask him about, the list was longer than she had initially guessed.   
The first question on her list was going to be finding out what was going on amongst the dragon slayers, especially with Laxus. Then she was going to ask for more information about this curse. She wanted to know what was happening to her friends and guild mates if she or any of them were in danger. She was going to dig deep to find some answers; all she had to do was think up a plan.  
As she thought of weird dragon things she remembered the way that they had caught on fire last night, as soon as the memory hit her she bolted straight for the bathroom mirror.   
With his vest tossed to the ground, she spun in front of the mirror, peering at the large pair of flaming wings that were perfectly contoured to her back.   
She had no idea that getting marked by a dragon meant sporting her own pair of fiery wings, and although she hadn’t anticipated them, they were beginning to grow on her, at least a little bit. Having a sign of her feelings for him displayed on her back wasn’t so bad; even if on the surface she wasn’t entirely sure what her feelings were. Sometimes it was just easier to express things with feelings and images, then with words, and explanations.  
When she contemplated the weird magical tattoo, she wondered to herself exactly what changes her body was going through by signing up to be the mate of a fire dragon. She was curious if she would be able to wield fire like him, or if she just became immune to it. For that matter, she wasn’t even sure if it was only his fire she was immune to or all fire.   
Standing in front of the mirror she realized just how much her body was affected by last evening's activities. Her hair was knotted in Mavis only knew how many tangles, and she spotted the occasional bruise around her pelvis and hips. She decided the best course of action was a bath and clean clothes. She had seen a clean pair of her clothing laid out on the kitchen table and knew that her only chance at a bath and an opportunity to pack would be found back at the guild hall. She dressed in the pre-chosen outfit and a large hat to cover her hair, then grabbed the picnic basket of food, her keys, and Natsu’s favorite clothes, before headed for her new guild and home.

__

Meanwhile at Fairy Tail.  
When Natsu returned to the guild he was practically jumped by the male dragon slayers, he had caught up with the little blue haired sky maiden the night before when she had delivered food, and a set of clothes for his new mate.   
At the time Wendy had practically exploded with cheer, having found out that Natsu had changed his stance on claiming a mate. He could tell that she had some questions about the curse, and he vowed on his role as Alpha that when she was older he or whoever was Alpha would answer all her questions. She seemed relieved to know that her complicated questions were now guaranteed an answer and that she didn’t have to learn the gross details for some time yet.  
The older slayers were never going to accept a lack of explanation. They were all old enough to at least have a basic understanding of what carnal knowledge would be like for a dragon slayer. Gajeel had punched him in the gut, before laughing in approval. Rogue remained formal, but Sting looked utterly disgusted and shocked. Laxus slapped him across the back, and Erik just stood off to the side pretending to ignore the whole exchange, while clearly eavesdropping.   
They had gathered in their places around his odd T-shaped table and before the questions could commence he turned to the door and activated the silence feature, although he wasn’t worried about eavesdropping, he was very worried that their conversation would destroy the innocence of their young female slayer. Once the door was shut he was swarmed with questions.  
“Have you figured out what the spiritual trails are yet?” Erik asked, two steps ahead of the others.   
“Did she get hurt? Wendy said she’s alive” Sting quickly questioned, worried for the other celestial mage he had grown fond of.  
“Do you have control over your powers now?” Laxus scoffed, clearly questioning his new Alpha’s control.   
“How did you make your scent go everywhere when you left?” Rogue questioned, remembering every minute detail that the others had forgotten, or not cared enough to ask about.  
“How did you grow horns! Is that normal? Or an Alpha thing?” Gajeel questions, already knowing the answer to the other questions that had been asked.  
Natsu took in a deep breath and let out an exaggerated sigh. “We're gonna have to rush this, we’ve got official meeting business, and a train to catch.” He spoke with authority, and all of his fellow dragon slayers nodded their heads in agreement. “I haven’t figure them out, Lucy is fine, No I don’t, I’ll teach you to project your scent when you’re older, I have no idea how or why I got horns.” He rushed through his explanation in a single jumbled sentence, then paused momentarily to check that his slayers didn’t have any further questions. When they all looked at him in understanding he continued on his rushed dialogue.   
“I’ve placed Gajeel as my second and he has accepted the position. As Lucy is my mate I expect you all to treat her as such, Gajeel, later on, will you explain to the second generation slayers what that means.” Natsu paused for a brief second to look over to Laxus and offer him a friendly warning. “Gajeel is in stage one, I suggest you don’t upset him; he’s probably going to be impatient for a little while.” Laxus rolled his eyes in disgust, and although Gajeel wanted to slash at him; he didn’t, mostly because he knew that violence would be in violation of the meeting. With a breath in, he gained control of his anger and looked to his leader once again.  
Natsu continued onto the next point he needed to cover for this meeting. “Wendy filled me in about yesterday's inter-guild meeting, looks like were setting up base camp in Oak Town. I’m happy you all earned one on one fights, but for everyone safety they’ve created teams.  
Since I know how strong you all are, I am allowing you to decide amongst yourselves if you want to have each fight one on one, or as a team. However, you must keep up the pretense for the rest of the guild. You must stay with your partner; I do not want you to underestimate our opponents and end up needing a partner who went back to base.  
For now, only those scoring over 40 000 points on the mpf will be allowed to fight solo, although Gajeel has chosen to stay by Levi’s side, and I agree it’s the wisest decision for his success. I’ve also decided that on top of your fights we’re are going to work as a tracking unit to help locate the Necromancer, and I’ll be placing you guys into small travelling bodyguard teams for Lucy and Levy. I expect that you will guard them if Gajeel or I are busy with other tasks.  
I’m going to talk to the guild master and see about getting us some extra communication lacrima so we can stay in touch. If you have anyone you want travelling with you, let them know. Any questions?” Gajeel, Sting, and Erik all nodded their heads in understanding. Laxus seemed indifferent, and Rogue lifted his hand to ask a question. Natsu nodded his head allowing the shadow slayer to speak.  
“Who is your guild master now?” Laxus’s expression took on a look of disdain, while Gajeel and Natsu both went stoned faced; looking to each other with dread.   
Laxus spoke while Natsu gulped in anticipation of the conversation to come. “Porilusica, she’s the longest standing member. That’s why the tribunal was formed. ‘Cause she ‘Won’t work with any of us young brats, and if we want anything done we had better take care of it ourselves.’” Natsu knew that Poryilusica would be less than agreeable, but he had a second reason for wanting to go see their newest guild master, so he knew it was worth the aggravation.

With all the needed topics covered, the meeting was wrapped up, and Natsu sent his slayers off to go pack for their upcoming mission. He was off to see their resident healer and current guild master, and hopefully would be able to return to his house in the woods to pack some clean clothes and make sure his new mate was up in time to catch their train. 

Lucy had had both breakfast and lunch, she had taken a long and relaxing bubble bath, before calling out Cancer to do her hair and makeup. After he was done, she dressed in shorts and a snug belly shirt. She had wanted to wear a skirt, but since she no longer had a place to hold her keys she needed the pockets.  
She planned to head to the local shops before making her way to the train, she checked the clock on the wall and realized that her time was running short. It was already two-thirty, and she still hadn’t been top side to see where the results were posted from yesterday's MPF testing. She quickly grabbed her travelling bag, tugged on her off-to-the-side ponytail, checking herself in the mirror before leaving the beautiful suite she now called home.   
She walked up two flights of stairs, waving goodbye to a few people as she left, and headed topside to see yesterday's results for herself, along the large sparing ring written in the light pen were yesterday’s results and the teams that were created based off of their scores. The ring was still scoarched from Natsu’s fire which helped make the white words even more visible. It read:

Scouts: Jellal, Mest, Sherry, Hibiki  
JURA: Leon, Wendy, Sherria  
ICHIYA: Minerva, Erza  
LEIJI: Yukino, Mirajane  
MICHELLO: Sting, Rogue  
YAJIMA: Laxus, Erik  
GUILDARTS: Levy, Gajeel  
WARROD: Lucy  
MAKAROV: Natsu

It wasn’t until her third attempt at reading the floating words that she truly began to process what the words meant. Floating there in the sky was proof of just how strong she had become, she was the only female mage granted a one on one fight, ranking her above both Titania and the She-Devil. It was shocking, and humbling, she had no idea when she had become so strong, and the idea of fighting on her own was intimidating. She had had several one on one battles, but she always had a team. She feared that her inexperience would be dangerous, and the idea of going into a fight without backup was terrifying.   
She walked through the streets, heading for the merchant shops, all the while contemplating her new status. Had her Celestial Queen Form really been that strong? After the MPF test, she knew that her Stellae Vincere Exitium attack was officially stronger than a normal dragon Slayers roar, and yet it was a spell that came so naturally to her.   
Thinking upon her life she once again contemplated how out of place she felt. Over the years she had experimented with different lives to live. She had hated being Lucky Lucy Heartfilla, she enjoyed being Lucy of Fairy Tail, but she never truly felt like she fit in. She had a family, and enjoyed spending her time amongst them, but she always felt like she wasn’t worthy, or strong enough to truly be one of them. When Fairy Tail had broken up she experimented with being a model, and a girlfriend, and both were miserable failures. She was too independent, to be a girlfriend, and she had too much inner turmoil to be a great model.   
Now that she was moving back to Fairy Tail, and demonstrating her newly acquired abilities things were beginning to feel different. When she was just Lucy she felt oddly out of place, but when she was by Natsu’s side; or in her Celestial Queen Form she felt so right. Her body would shift slightly, and her pulse would become more steady, she felt that she didn’t need to be afraid, and didn’t need to hide from anyone; including herself. In those brief moments, she knew exactly who she was; she was in perfect control of her body, mind, and soul.  
She didn’t know if that feeling would last around Natsu, because the more she was around him lately the more she would begin to burn with desire and passion, and both of those feelings had a way of pulling her along some unseen magical path that she wasn’t fully aware of yet. Deep down she knew that part of her soul was being pulled along to an unknown destiny and that with every step it was drawing her closer and closer to the man Natsu was becoming; however, she hadn’t yet brought those feelings into the light, and continued to shove them away. When she thought of committing to him, it brought a tinge of fear, fear of the journey, fear that being with him held to many unknowns, like that he might leave again, or grow to hate her one day. She wanted everything to stay the way it had been, just days ago, when she had felt at home in his arms, she wished that somehow they would be back to being the two innocent teens who meet in a crowded town square of Cloverfield.   
She liked that Natsu was maturing, and she really liked that she was becoming more powerful, but she feared the future, and the trails it would hold. What would happen between her and Natsu? Where are they going to work out? Or would this new relationship cause them to fall apart, and lose the friendship they had just restored?  
Lucy began to think about her new celestial powers. It had been a blur when Loke had explained them to her, and it had taken months of training for at least six hours a day with Capricorn for her to really beginning to control them, but she had no idea that they were so powerful. She assumed it was more powerful than Loke’s Regulas punch, but to have just one of the 11 attacks she had learned to be more powerful than a dragon slayer’s roar was baffling.  
She decided the best course of action was to call out her lion spirit so that the two could chat about it, while she shopped for a new key pouch. She still had an hour before she had to catch her train, and with a bit of luck, she’d get the answers to her questions, and a chance to catch up with her closest spirit far away from her new, …mate. 

__

 

Natsu’s knuckles echoed on the door of his elderly guild master. The annoyed grunt he received in response was not a great indication of what mood she was in. He slowly opened the door before summoning courage and striding in. He closed the door behind him, and turned on the silent feature, before addressing the pink haired women.   
“I’ve got two requests, the first is for eight communication lacrima that are all linked together, and the second is a bit more personal.” He spoke with a false confidence and tried to remain as methodical as possible. He normally tried to break the tension with a warm smile, or a comfortable hello, but she knew that the women in front of him hated human interactions, and the more he avoided the more likely she was to be agreeable.   
“Lacrima are in the closet over there.” She said while gesturing to the small door to the left of her desk. Staring at him impatiently waiting for him to ask his second request so that she could kick him out of her personal space.  
Natsu walked over to the closet, grabbed a bag off the top shelf and quickly started to fill it with the communication lacrima. He quietly began to mumble his second question under his breath.  
“Speak up boy!” Porilusica demanded, giving him one last chance to speak up before she picked him up by the scruff of his neck and threw him straight through the doorway.   
“I want birth control” Natsu spoke clearly, although his eyes held shame, and his cheeks were flushed.   
Porilusica’s hand went from her side so that it covered her entire face. Natsu continued his request. “I know you made something for Cana, can you make something for me to stop me from impregnating my mate?”  
Porilusica remained silent for a minute before walking over to the back corner of her office. She pulled on the ladder that was next to the back wall and walked on it so that she could reach an item on the top shelf. With a tiny green vial in her right hand, she silently walked over to Natsu and gestured her left hand so that he would place his hand on her own.   
Porilusica flipped his hand over, exposing his wrist to her, then used her teeth to pull the stopper out of the small vial. She tilted the vial over his wrist and let three drops of green liquid spill out and fall onto his wrist. The liquid was quickly absorbed into his skin and a small green magical weaved circle covered his wrist for a few seconds before disappearing.   
“That lasts two months, see me when you want more. Now get out!” She yelled the last bit to him and flung the door open so that he would take the hint seriously and leave at once.   
Natsu quickly exited the room, still carrying the bag with the communication lacrima in it, and headed for the exit so he could rush home. He’d have to hurry if he was going to shower, change, and pack in time to catch his train; although he could smell Lucy in the air, so at least he knew she was already awake in time to catch their train ‘eww trains’ he thought before taking the stairs two at a time.  
__

Lucy and Loke were joking happily as they walked through the tiny mall. She had gone to a few women’s clothing stores, before ending up at a leather maker store in hopes of finding a new clip-on pouch for her keys.  
As the clerk greeted her, she asked if they had any pouches that were magically spelled so that they were flame resistant. The clerk led them to an entire shelf of purses, bags, and pouches before heading back to his place at the till.   
Lucy casually perused through the flame resistant items as she questioned her spirit.  
“So Loke, why did you show up in my bathroom the other day?” Lucy questioned him.  
“OH! I almost forgot I wanted to tell you about me and Aries dating, been a whole month now.” Loke seemed proud of himself for managing such an accomplishment, and who could blame him, changing from playboy to boyfriend was a big step. Then again Lucy knew that deep down his playboy lifestyle was because he had been trapped and dying in Earthland, and he had chosen a poor way to pass the time.   
“That’s great Loke, I’m glad you finally asked her out!” Lucy’s cheerful voice rang out.   
“So how about you and Natsu, things seemed pretty heated between you guys the other day?” Loke questioned her in a casual tone, even though he had his opinions on the matter he had promised to stay out of her personal life, so he chose not to speak of them.

“Ya, It’s kind of complicated right now, but I think we are officially together now,” Lucy spoke while her eyes stared at the floor. She really didn’t want to tell her ex-boyfriend that she was sleeping with her best friend even tough he hadn’t even officially asked her out on a date yet, it just seemed too inappropriate.   
“Cool, anyways, about that Queen Form, you said you had some questions?” Loke expertly changed the topic.   
“Oh Right! Exactly how many Celestial Wizards can command the Queen Form?”   
Loke stood completely still, he was shocked by the question, he had assumed that Lucy understood what being the Celestial Queen meant, clearly that wasn’t the case.  
“Lucy, I thought you already knew, the Celestial Queen is a form of lost magic, its ancient, more so than even dragon slayer magic. It's purer than regular celestial magic, it pulls in magic particles and uses them as the queen sees fit.”   
“Wow! I had no idea it was so rare, that’s amazing, so how many wizards have been able to wield it? I bet they were amazing, once I know their names I can look them up and study them.” Her voice sounded so excited, she loved being presented with a rare opportunity, she and Levy would spend weeks tracking down obscure material to read and study this new information.

“Lucy, you are the first human to be named the Celestial Queen.” When Loke spoke, he realized just how naïve Lucy truly was to her own powers. He knew that she always told her spirits not to bow to her or call her master, but he bowed none the less. She needed to understand just how important what she was doing was, and how serious it would grow to be. Her new abilities came at a price, and she deserved to know it.  
“LOKE! What are you doing?! Stand up you’re being ridiculous!”   
“Lucy, you are not taking on the Celestial Queen’s form like you do with mine, or Aries, or Virgo, or any of your other spirits. You have been named the Celestial Queen. You are the first human to have passed every trail.”  
“Trail? What Trail?” Lucy questioned looking dumbfound.  
“You have rescued a spirit, offered your life, sacrificed a friendship, and summoned the king. Each of those things is a trail set out in a magical seal as old as time itself. When our late Celestial Queen passed she placed a seal on her constellation, whoever breaks that seal will be granted the position of becoming the next Celestial Queen, and be given access to all 12 of her lost spells.” Loke spoke while bowing at the waist, he knew that although the gesture annoyed her, it was the only way that his words were going to reach her stubborn ears.  
“Loke you’re being ridiculous! Go home, I don’t want to talk anymore!” Lucy wailed at the leader of her celestial spirits.   
Following her order, Loke puffed into a cloud of smoke, and she snatched up the closet pouch to her to purchase. She headed for the till, paid for her new fire-resistant pouch and stormed off towards the train station. She had heard enough of her spirits ramblings and all she wanted was some peace and quiet.   
___   
As Lucy approached the train, at 10 to 4 she groaned. Even from the opposite side of the station platform, you could hear the rambunctious behaviour of a large group of wizards. Lucy wished for a moment that she was Laxus and had a pair of headphones to block out all of the noise. She finished purchasing her ticket and headed for the loudest train car; where she knew her friends would be.   
The train car was packed with wizards, but Lucy didn’t see any of the dragon slayers within it. Yukino raced up to her and wrapped her in a warm hug.   
“There you are, Lucy! I’ve been waiting for you! Come On, we saved you a seat!” Yukino’s voice cheered as she pulled the blonde haired girl along through the nearby door and into a secondary train car, with a private section just for the dragon slayers, and their guests.  
“Wow this is pretty cool” Lucy spoke while looking around the private compartment.   
“It was so nice of Natsu to get it for us!” Yukino yelled out, her voice sounding distant by all the noise their previous train car was creating. As she spoke she closed the door, and in an instant, the entire compartment was perfectly silent. Lucy went on high alert, trying to decipher what could have made 15 or so wizards all go silent in complete unison, then she realized that Natsu must have specifically ordered them a compartment with a noise reduction feature. The sounds of their fellow guild members drowned out, Lucy decided to relax and find a comfortable seat. She looked around and saw a blue cat sitting on a head of pink hair and decided she would try to sit with her partner. She knew that any minute his stomach would roll, and he’d be sicker than a dog, and end up with a massive headache. Come to think of it, it looked like other than Levy, Yukino, Minerva, and herself, that every person sitting aboard this private compartment was a dragon slayer. They were going to need a few more buckets.   
Lucy walked down the aisle, and as she passed every single dragon slayer stopped and nodded to her while touching their left hand to their forehead. She had absolutely no idea what they were doing and why, but she chose not to care, and instead tried to take her seat before the train started to move.   
Lucy smiled sweetly to him, looking at him with those gigantic brown puppy dog eyes. “Natsu, can I sit here?” She asked.  
“I saved it just for you,” he spoke with pride in his voice, happy to have her show up in time to keep him company for their long journey. He HATED travelling by train more than almost anything in Fiore but having her next to him always helped to reduce the damage and keep at least some of his food down.   
She took her seat, and the train began to roll. He instantly shifted so that his head was on her shoulder, and waited for the motion sickness to take hold and render him useless. He heard ever dragon slayer aboard groan, and when he looked back they had all swung their heads down, some tried to rest on top of their nearby partners.  
Still, he waited for the motion sickness to take hold, but nothing happened. He counted to ten, looked out the window to confirm that they were, in fact, moving while inside a vehicle.  
He stood up, and Lucy stared at him in confusion. “Natsu? What are you doing?” She asked. He took two steps and then jumped into the air.  
“I DON’T HAVE MOTION SICKNESS!!” He cheered loudly while pumping his fist into the air.   
“What are you talking about?” Gajeel grumbled from the lap of the women he hoped to take as his mate.   
“My motion sickness it's gone!!” He cheered while racing from one side of the train carriage to the other.   
“Fuck you!” Laxus groaned at the prancing Alpha. Natsu ignored him in favor of running up and down the aisle, happy to enjoy travelling transportation for the first time in his life.  
“I can FINALLY go on bumper cars!!” He cheered loudly.   
Erik never seemed to stop thinking. He thought it over, while nursing his stomach, and came to a conclusion.  
“When you came to Magnolia, you were Alpha and sick, it must be a mate thing.” He concluded.  
“Go sit with your mate Natsu, you’re making me dizzy!” Sting whined in a rather pained voice.  
Natsu began to head towards his seat, feeling pity for the dizzy and pained slayers, he knew how awful that level of motion sickness was. 

“NATSU!” Lucy Screaked! “How could you tell THEM!! That’s private!” Lucy Yelled theatrically for the entire car to hear. Ever slayer covered their ears, pained by her high pitch volume.  
“Luce, it's not like that,” Natsu began to explain; but before he could complete his sentence he received an unexpected Lucy kick to the chin and went flying. He landed in an unconscious pile on the floor, and Lucy indignantly took her. Happy laughed robustly at the pile on the floor before crawling into Lucy’s lap and falling asleep. Cold and uncaring that her mate was rendered unconscious by her blow Lucy was happy to enjoy the relative silence. She assumed that when he woke up they would be well on their way to Oak Town and she could properly scold him in private once they reached their base camp; until then she would let her wrath simmer so she could enjoy her book.


	12. Chapter 12

The train ride to Oak Town had been a rather uneventful one. Natsu had slept in a lump on the floor; Minerva and Levy had spent the entirety of their train ride helping the dragon slayers; who all eventually feel asleep. Lucy, however, enjoyed the peace and quiet while Happy rested on top of her lap. She normally would have helped the other slayers, but for some reason felt it was a bad idea.

The book she had chosen to read was well worth her time, it was a collection of dragon works, containing information on their mating habits, a little information about the Alpha system, and how they fed and raised young. It even had a small amount of information on the Curse Natsu kept referring to.

The book itself was one that Lucy had actually already read as a small child; however, when she read it last she had no idea that so many of the animalistic traits their dragon's predecessors shared with their human counterparts.

As an adult; she would have never thought that the book she had deemed as inaccurate and foolish as a child would actually be helpful. Although she had forgotten most of the information within it; having cast the information aside as myth. Years later, around the time of her father's death, she had remembered the book. When she went through her parent's estate she had snatched the book away for her best friend the dragon slayer. Natsu, of course, took one look at the book and tossed it aside, saying that he didn’t need to read about who he was and that he already knew the information within it, and most of it didn’t apply to dragon slayers anyways. With his dismissal Lucy decided to tuck the book away inside her teammate's tiny bedroom; hoping that one day he would appreciate the smuggled item, even if it was just to read to his children as they grew. 

'Children… oh dear god…’ Lucy thought to herself. She had always pictured Natsu as wanting kids one day, his intense playful, and loyal personality perfectly blended with the idea of raising a family. She knew that he already considered Happy to be his son, be she had always pictured little pink haired Natsu’s running around. Of course when she had pictured that in the past; she usually pictured Lisanna and him smiling down at the hoard of pink-headed balls of flaming energy. Now as the train came to a stop, she remained completely still, frozen in absolute shock.  
Would she and Natsu.. one day have… kids?! Leaving her the responsible matriarch of a gang of children who no doubt like their father would exude energy every second of the day.  
She had barely allowed herself to picture the two of them together, and have never, ever, gone so far as to picture them holding each other, and a small baby in their arms.  
The idea terrified her, and as countless emotions began to bubble up; she did what she often did when confronted with feelings she wasn’t ready to process. She shoved them into a deep dark pit and locked them away for another time. Forcing herself to focus on the task at hand, she jumped to her feet, grabbed her travel pack, and when to recover her lump of a mate on the floor who was beginning to gain some consciousness. 

“Luuucy, I haven’t every ridden a train like that before! Why did you have to ruin it for me! It could have been FUN!”  
“You deserved IT!” She scoffed at him, she began to walk away, now reassured that he was going to be able to get off the train before it started to move again.  
“Natsu,” she whispered in her nearly inaudible voice, hoping that the other dragon slayers were far enough away that they wouldn’t hear her, “You and I are going to have a very very long talk today.”  
He gulped to himself as he watched her walk away. He knew that after their evening last night he was in debt to her and that by the end of the day she would probably cash in her chips and want to know the whole truth.  
It was a conversation he wasn’t looking forward to having, however, she deserved it. The only problem was that he was absolutely positive he wasn’t ready to be alone with her yet. He had spent every waking minute since their evening last night; trying to focus on his tasks as a guild member and Slayer Alpha; while being plagued by images of her.  
Their evening had been so passionate, and so fierce that every fiber of his being was begging him to whisk her away and consumer her in the nearest corner he could locate. He kept picturing the way her abdominals rippled when she rocked her hips on top of him, and how she looked as her lacey top rolled to the floor. He was lustfully tortured by her memory, and dying to repeat the experience. So much so that he was sure if she pulled him away for a private conversation, he wouldn’t be able to focus on a word that left her lips as he would be too busy picturing those same lips being wrapped around his... 

“NATSU!!” Happy yelled as he dragged the love sick idiot towards the door of the train. The whistle was blowing and the wheels would soon start turning again so that it could move onto it next location.  
Natsu lurched back into reality and rushed to grab his bag and jump off the train before the doors closed and locked him inside.  
___

 

The walk to their base camp had been a long and awkward one. The scouts, Jellal, Mest, Sherry, and Hibiki had left earlier to set up camp and begin getting information; so by the time the larger group arrived there was a cozy fire and nice warm tents already set up.  
The scouts had gained some information on the whereabouts of a few SSS wizards and had decided to get to bed so they could leave before sun-up to scout out the possible location.  
As the day's buzz began to draw to a close, and wizards slowly walked towards bed one by one, Natsu realized that his chance was going to slip away if he didn’t seize an opportunity.  
Casually, he walked over to his new found mate. She was standing on the edge of a group of friends, wavering in and out of their conversation. They seemed to be talking about her new celestial powers, and she didn’t seem to eager to feed them more information.  
He tucked his hand into hers, and she startles a little until she realized who it was. She then greeted him with a puzzled looked, wondering what the delicate hand holding was all about.  
“I've gotta borrow Lucy for a little while” Natsu announced to the crowd while already beginning to drag her away. A few whistled in approval, while others seemed shocked that he was being so 'official' in front of his guildmates. The two had never been public about any sort of relationship, and still, hadn't annouced it to the guild. 

Lucy looked even more puzzled but followed him without argument. As they walked away all the dragon slayers within the group had touched their left hand to their foreheads agian. confusing Lucy even more.  
“Ok Natsu, spill the beans; what's with all the dragon slayers, they keep nodding at me, it's so weird.”  
“Oh,” Natsu gestured, repeating the action his fellow dragons slayers had been doing. Lucy nodded her head agreeing to his gesture.  
“Well I know how you hate people bowing to you, so I told them the less formal welcome was acceptable” Lucy practically choked on her own oxygen. “THAT’S A BOWING THING!? Not you guys too!” she groaned, half tempted to Lucy kick him, but needed information more then she needed to succumb to violence.  
Natsu chuckled to himself, knowing that if they had all suddenly started bowing to her she would have had a full freak out session. He had been tempted to force Laxus into it so that he could better learn to respect the Alpha and Omega; however, in the end, he decided against it. He knew it would have upset Lucy, as she wasn’t one for formality.  
Lucy huffed out and extreme breath of exasperation “Alright, I've had enough of this, its time I know everything, now!” She nearly shouted, her patience having reached its limit.

"Well, they bow to you, but not to me, because as my mate you are the Omega, or what humans would call the Queen. I told them that they don’t need to bow because we don't like the formality between friends. It’s like how your celestial spirits work, your spirits are your friends, so they don’t need to bow to you, however, they do bow to the Celestial King, however, your spirits still show you respect.”

As Natsu explained the formalities of being mated to the Alpha dragon slayer, he pulled Lucy even closer to him. With the space between them growing smaller he could feel the heat radiating off of her, and bask in the amazing scent of her hair. He knew she had washed it tediously this morning and the comfortable smell of cinnamon and ash was, even more, welcoming than the blazing fire at their camp nearby, although it surprised him that her smell had changed so much since they mated.  
Once they had walked deep enough into the woods that he could no longer hear the encampment he placed her delicately onto a fallen tree trunk so that they could continue their conversation.  
She asked him all about his new relationship with the other dragon slayers and he explained absolutely everything, he explained why he had to leave her last year, and how he had changed his mind about running away, he had explained all the new changed in himself, and the dangers that were in store for them while the curse ran its course. Although he wished he had more information on the latter to share with her.  
He didn’t know what the rest of the curse looked like, but he knew that they could handle it together. As they snuggled closer and closer he could smell her more and more, and eventually his self-control began to slip and he allowed himself to play with her hair and run his fingers along the small of her back.  
She hummed in appreciation of his delicate affection and began to feel completely at ease with him at her side. He was nearly drowning her with new information, but it gave her more confidence than she felt when she had been left in the dark on the dragon slayer front.

It turned out that the book she had read earlier in the day was correct on nearly all counts, however for dragons, the curse was a lot less complex, plus they had slightly more logical hierarchies based off of powers and abilities. 

The position of being Omega to her seemed annoying and like another stupid way to define who she was, however, she knew there was nothing she could do about it now that she was officially mated. She would just have to deal with the consequences and possible side effects.  
Lost in her own little world, she was caught off guard when Natsu’s hands began to skim under the sleeves of her dainty T-shirt as if asking for permission to remove the clothing from her.  
“Hmm?” she asked, to lost in a daze to have heard his last sentence  
“Can I see it?”  
“See what?”  
“Luce you mated to me and are now sporting a giant pair of flaming wings on your back, I'm proud that you could handle something so large, but I'm dying to get another look or what my powers look like on your skin.”  
Lucy nodded her head and sank her shoulders to allow him to remove her shirt, she pulled at the front of the shirt to keep herself from being exposed. But allowed her back to become bare for his viewing pleasure.  
“What do you mean something so large?” Lucy questioned, her awareness peaking out from the dazed bliss his hands had placed her in.  
“Well from what I understand, the size of the mark is determined by how powerful the mates are; I assumed it would be decent because I'm Alpha, but this is just massive!”  
Natsu began to trace the outline of her magical mark with his fingertips and she shivered in response.  
“You cold?” He questioned her.  
“Not at all, I'm actually a little warm” she responded in a gentle hum. She wasn’t used to him touching her so delicately, it was intimate without being forceful and she adored it.  
It seemed odd to him that she was so comfortable in this weather. Usually she would be complaining about being so far away from the fire, but as long as she was happy he didn't seem to mind. 

With a little forethought, he leaned forward and delicately kissed her on the shoulders. It was gentle and patient. He then moved his lips upward, skimming her neck until he reached around to her luscious lips. He slowly placed his lips on her own, she seemed to be a bit hesitant at first, but once she had a chance to wrap her mind around it, she welcomed the intimacy. She wasn't ready to admit to herself how drawn to him she was, not just lustfully, but on a much deeper emotion level, and even though she didn't want to want him, she couldn't keep herself from needing him. 

She slowly pulled him forward so that the two were embraced in each other grasp, all the while delving her fingers into his hair. Her shirt collapsed around her and fell to her waist, but in their moment of such fervent affection, she didn’t seem to notice at all.  
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you Luce” Natsu confessed as a hidden blush crept into view.  
Luce was dumbstruck by his honestly. She wasn’t sure how to react. The normal her would have probably hit him or something, but that seemed too friendly and, mostly dispassionate. However, she wasn’t sure if passion was what she should be going for. She seemed to think about him all day long, and yet, there was still so much inner turmoil that she wasn’t ready to admit to fantasizing about him, although if she was being honest with just herself, she had to admit that her brain had wondered to that topic more than a couple times throughout the day.  
“Natsu, I, uh, I don’t know if I’m ready for a repeat of last night, it’s just that, this is all moving really quickly, and there are so many new things to wrap my head around, and I …” she trailed off, as she looked into his playful yet determined eyes.  
“Then let me convince you” he whispered into her ear playfully while slightly tickling her with his breath.  
She squealed in shock of how bold he had suddenly become, and in an instant, he had her on her back and was smothering her with deep, passionate, and somehow playful kisses. 

It didn’t take long for him to convince her to rejoin him as a mated pair, and the two spend the majority of the evening entwined. When they were finally both exhausted, and their bodies were spent, he hoisted her into his muscular arms, and gently carried her back to their camp to tuck her lovingly into bed. 

____  
The morning came with a loud chatter of their guildmates. Everyone was preparing for battle. Jellal had returned leaving Mest, to defend Sherry and Hibiki. The location they had suspected to be the SSS class wizard meeting area had been confirmed, but in the process of collecting information Sherry had tried to reach out to Jura, and thus alerted the SSS class’s to their presence.  
Mest had temporarily whipped all of their memories; and done so flawlessly according to plan; however the SSS class wizards were talented enough, that it was expected the memory wipe would be temporary at best; and if they wanted a chance to reclaim the element of surprise they were ging to have to move quickly.

It seemed that all of the SSS class wizards were converging together in a small cathedral to plan their attack; and while they planned, the scouting unit was remaining hidden on the top of a nearby hill waiting for reinforcements.

The idea of breaking camp had been neglected, and instead, everyone packed for battle; choosing items that were as light and as defensively as possible. The group decided that their fall back point would be the impromptu basecamp.

Once the large collection of mages arrived to join their comrades Hibiki gave them the low down.  
The memory spell had started to wear off, and all of the SSS class wizards had ended their meeting and spread out in preparation for the oncoming attack. Makarov had rightly assumed that members of Fairy Tail would be coming to claim him, and had such determined their hiding location; he was currently standing 10 stories tall at the base of the hill they were hiding on. Makarov yelled up towards them, daring them to send the strongest fighter.  
While Makarov taunted his children, Jura had taken to the off to the right side of the large hill, where it meet with the low valley of pasture. Clearly, he knew that his advantage lay with earth elements nearby.  
Warrdon had moved to the left-hand side of the quaint cathedral; he stood on the opposite end of the field of Jura, being was happily sheltered by a large selection of nearby trees.

Ichiya stood just behind Makarov, whining endlessly about how he could smell the sweet parfume of his beloved and that she must come down and join him in his quest at once. Erza, of course, groaned in response; she continued to do so every time he uttered the word ‘men’.

A large 20 lengths behind Ichiya was the entrance to the two-story cathedral, and guarding it was none other then Guildarts himself, he stood defiantly at its opened entrance and welcomed whatever challenges may come.  
On top of the roof of the cathedral was little Michello; his stance was similar to one of a cat; calm and collective; yet ready to pounce. His ears flickered at every sound, and he seemed eager for the upcoming onslaught.  
That only left Yajima and Leiji, with a little bit of help from Mest, Hibiki explained that Yajima was on the bottom floor, and Leiji the second. 

It seemed that all of the guild masters and highest ranking fighters had not only successfully anticipated the attack, but had each chosen locations to give themselves the greatest advantage; Lucy groaned to herself in frustration. How was SHE going to take on a one on one battle, against the highest ranking wizard saint she knew of? 

Before anyone had time to decide how everyone was going to reach the attacker they were slotted to fight Makarov picked up a large boulder and whipped it toward the group's huddle.  
Natsu yelled, in a near dragon roar, and went running head first towards the man he felt was his Grandfather. With the decision to attack made, Laxus and the other dragon slayers took off at full speed, and all of the other mages ran full tilt in an attempt to try and keep up with them. 

Minerva agilely jumped over the top of Ichiya, and in mid air used her magic to change her location with Ichya causing him to tumble from the air and onto his backside in time for Erza to smash him in a frontal attack.  
Having moved Ichika out of the way, and being able to easily escape between Makarov's legs all of the assembled attackers divided up into their groups; Leon, Wendy, and Sherria headed left for Jura; while Levy, Gajeel, Laxus, Erik, Yukino, and Mira headed straight for the cathedral. Guildarts bellowed towards Laxus that he didn’t stand a chance, and not one of them were even going to get past him. Laxus grinned and while in the midst of laughter stated that he didn’t have to go through him. He then took a large sweep to the right and smashed into the entire right-hand wall of the cathedral; easily allowing Yukino and Mira access to the top floor, while he and Erik ran towards Yajima on the bottom floor, they were fully prepared for battle.

Guildarts seemed stunned that the attacker he had presumed would face him, had completely avoided him, and instead Gajeel and Levy were racing head on towards him. Guildarts considered himself to be Fairy Tails strongest mage, and the idea that the second strongest wasn’t going to be fighting him caught him off guard; but once he had a chance to wrap his mind around it; he figured Gajeel would be nearly as much fun since his little love interest was there to torture him with. 

Lucy had the farthest distance SSS class wizard to run to, and was, therefore, the last to reach her assigned fight.  
When she rushed towards Warrdon she realized that he certainly wasn’t an offensive fighter; he had coccooned himself in a large flower like shield that seemed to be impenetrable if that wasn’t difficult enough; Lucy was unable to reach it because she was currently fighting off a jungle of Warrdon-made barbed wire weeds. Each individual vine was swiftly moving its way towards her, and she was barely able to avoid one before the next one lunged towards her.  
Lucy realized that fighting on her own was pointless, and although she had feared a one on one fight; that didn’t mean she had to fight without her spirits by her side. In an instance, she called forth Cancer, who could wield his scissors to cut away all of the attacking vines. She then called forth Taraus; the fact that he had the most strength meant that he would be amazingly helpful in fighting an offensive battle. Lastly, she called forth Capricorn; who was her most strategic fighter. Then four of them worked hand-in-hand, inch by inch to get closer to Warrdon.  
Taurus bulldozed ahead, while Cancer cleared them a path; Capricorn plotted the best route against the vines whipping towards them; while Lucy took on her Taurus form and joined the front line of their attack.

They had been fighting for what seemed like hours when they finally worked through all of the vines and reached the cocoone Warrdon had created for himself. Taraus heaved it up and dropped it down; trying to use his strength to smash it open. Lucy kicked it, and battered the shell with her feet, but it seemed to make no difference. Capricorn had suggested Cancer try to cut it open, but the shield was too strong and wide to be susceptible to Cancer's scissors.  
After Cancer's failed attempt; Lucy used the remainder of her magical powers to call forth Virgo the Maiden. Virgo appeared in mid-air, and then instantly spun into a whirlwind of strength; much like a drill she worked tirelessly to break open the shell of Warrdon’s defense; all the while Taurus; Cancer, and Capricorn fought off the returning barbed wire vines.  
Once Virgo cracked the edge of the shell, Taurus was able to use his axe to smash it to smithereens.  
Warrdon remained in a fighting stance, preparing for the hand to hand combat to commence.  
Before he even had a chance to lay the first blow Virgo unveiled a pair of Magic Cancelling Handcuffs, and Capricorn used them capture their opponent.  
Lucy rejoiced in triumph. Her spirits all embraced her in joyous hugs.  
After a few brief seconds to hug Lucy began to compliment her spirits. "Capricorn, you did splendidly! Great thinking suggesting Virgo to come in! Taurus I'm so proud of how strong you’ve grown, the majority of that plants were turned into a powder by your attacks! Cancer! You lead the attack! I'm so so proud, You must have cut 1000 vines! Virgo, you saved the day with those Magic Cancelling Handcuffs; what great thinking! If you have more, you should go catch up to the others and hand some out, I'm sure they will be greatly needed; the rest of you should head home for some rest; you're probably all exhausted!”  
Virgo raced off towards the cathedral to find out how the other fights were fairing, as well as hand out Magic Cancelling Handcuffs to any who needed it, while the other spirits returned to the spirit world. Lucy stayed in the center of the recently made forest to watch over Warrdon, and try to drag him out of the darkness.

 

As Virgo meet up with the other members of Fairy Tail and their temporary teammates she handed out pair after pair of Magic Cancelling Handcuffs. Not a single fight had resulted in death, but none of their team had figured out how to defeat the dark magic virus either. Erza had instead insisted that all of the SSS class wizards be cuffed and then transported back to Magnolia until a cure could be found.  
Natsu’s fight seemed to last the longest; and when Virgo arrived Makarov had just shrunk down to his usual size. It seemed Natsu had gone to great lengths to fight his teacher without doing him any serious harm. He had however taken the blunt of several high-ranking magical attacks in order to use up all of Makarov's magical energy and then capture him in one piece.  
By the time Makarov was subdued the only person left to catch up was Lucy with Warrdon.  
“That’s odd,” Virgo began to say, but before she could finish her sentence she puffed into thin air.

Natsu’s senses flipped into high alert; it wasn’t like Virgo to leave without finishing helping her friends. Natsu rushed to place the handcuffs on Makarov then began yelling to all of his dragon slayers, asking them if they had seen Lucy; each individually reported that they had not.

Natsu raced off in a lightning bolt, headed straight towards the forest to look for his mate; his dragon slayers took off right behind him. 

When Natsu reached the location of Lucy’s battle all that remained was the freed, yet very confused Warrdon, and Lucy’s celestial keys on the ground.

“Natsu; I don’t know what happened," Warrdon began "this strange man showed up out of nowhere, and whispered something into my ear, I was released from his spell. Please don’t be mad at me, I swear it didn't want to fight her, I couldn't help it,"

"Where is LUCY? WHERE IS MY MATE!?" Natsu growled to Warrdon. His teeth barred, and rage consuming his voice.  
In a whine Warrdon replied "he... he cuffed her with the handcuffs, then he took her, he took her into the underworld.”


	13. Chapter 13

Natsu awoke, completely surrounded by his underlings. His consciousness hadn't fully returned and yet even without an awareness of the time and place, he knew he had no patience, or willingness to commune with other humans. His very core was filled with rage, and he wanted nothing but death and destruction.  
He thought it odd that so much of him was filled with venom, but knew deep down that it was simply a mask to cover a need, "... a need for what?' he wondered silently to himself.

Then it dawned on him; he needed his mate, he needed her more then he need the air in his lungs, it was all consuming, and inescapable.

*Flashback*  
Makarov swung at him, his arm denser and larger than Natsu had ever seen before. Natsu dodged it in one massive jump that would have normally cleared a building. Never before had Natsu seen Makarov fight with such malice. Thus far in their exchange, Makarov had used wind magic, ice magic, and light magic against Natsu, all while telepathically forcing thoughts into Natsu's mind. 

It had been the hardest battle he had ever taken part in, and that thrilled him completely. He had needed to rely mostly on instinct because of the faulty battle strategies being forced into his mind. He focused himself on not doing the predictable thing and followed his gut to dodge as much as possible. He knew that if he followed the instructions Makarov put before him it would mean certain death. 

While dodging a light attack Natsu saw an opening. Thus far into this fight he had only used his wing attack, and that had been to repel the wind attacks his opponent had skillfully placed as traps in the air where Natsu had predictably jumped to dodge the ice wall coming his way.  
The action had gained him some minor cuts and bruises, but he had managed the fight so far without hurting his grandfather, and that was, in all truth, his main goal. He saw the difficult yet effective opening to the back of Makarov's head and knew that if he was going to succeed, the wimpy wing attacks weren't going to be strong enough. Natsu took his shot and wielded a lightning bolt perfectly into the base of his master's spine. The action instantly paralyzed their guild leader, causing him to drop to the ground like a bug struck down in mid air. The effect was only temporary, but it gave Natsu the opportunity to grab a pair of Magic Cancelling Handcuffs from Virgo so that he could subdue his opponent and see how the others were fairing. 

As soon as Natsu had managed to cuff his opponent the telepathic stream of thoughts in his head instantly subsided. Once his awareness was fully restored he started to realize just how serious things were. Using his magical energy he flashed over to where his mate should have been, and instead found her keys upon the ground, and a cowering Warrdon underneath his query. 

The rage had started then, it had clouded his vision and taken over his self-control. Gajeel had wisely stepped up as his second, and had diverted all of the dragon slayers into a search formation, each of them fervently began seeking for any trail of a scent to find their Omega. However, their efforts were for naught. No trail of Lucy could be found, because, as Warrdon had informed Natsu, she had been pulled into another dimension. It was then that the darkness had come, wholly and completely consuming him in within it. He had no idea where it came from but welcomed the numbness to the overwhelming pain he felt. He let himself accept it and drifted off into its isolation.

**End Flashback**

Gejeel was the first to speak, all of the others kept a safe and respectful distance from their leader.  
"Natsu, we need you to snap out of this, its time to wake up, and come back to the real world." Gajeel's voice was softer than anyone had ever heard.  
A dragon roar of both anguish and anger escaped from Natsu's lips. He couldn't accept this reality, couldn't live if his mate was gone forever. He needed her, and felt his life was tied to hers; and yet, if she was taken to the underworld, then surely she would soon be dead.  
"Mest" Gajeel called, "It's time to take the darkness away." 

Mest nodded his head and removed the spell he had cast over Natsu. The memory control mage had hated consuming a friend's life with darkness, but it was a direct order from Erza, and he did as she said; knowing that she must have some reason for it. 

Once again Erza had been correct in issuing her order. Natsu had needed the darkness, he had been too consumed with rage to be safe around his fellow teammates. Even in his state of unconsciousness, he had been spewing flames and bolts of lightning. The unconscious attacks rolled off of his skin while he slept, and charred the ground bellow him.  
Mest silently thanked Erza for her wisdom, knowing that had Natsu been fully awake for the first few moments of shock he could have accidently harmed his fellow guildmates while in a state of shock. 

While Natsu awakened, everyone took several large steps further away, each knowing that if his self-control slipped their safety would be at risk. 

"Lucy" Natsu questioned to no one in particular. As he spoke he gazed around. He was back at their base camp and surrounded by those he loved. Everyone kept a distance away, but even with their distance, they were all close enough to stop him from exploding into a mountain of flames. 

"She is still gone Natsu" Erza began, and as she spoke the flames began to wrap around Natsu's fist, and horns started to protrude from the top of his head. He tried to reign himself in, but it was useless, every bit of anger his felt was wrapping around him, tieing him into hundred of anguished filled knots. Although he couldn't stop the horns and fist covered flames, he was doing his best to make sure he didn't produce enough flames to melt their base to the ground, or harm any of his friends.

"Natsu," Erza continued "We need your help to get her back."  
"Back?" Natsu's voice broke and his mind clouded in confusion. 'Get Lucy back" His mind wandered, 'Get her back from the underworld... that is impossible.' He thought to himself that if he had been able to bring others back from the dead then he would have saved everyone he had ever lost to death. 

It was then that Levy chimed in. "Yes Natsu, back, with the help of Loke, and the Celestial Spirit King I was able to get some reference material that I needed to plot a course into the underworld, we are leaving at dawn." 

"To the underworld," Natsu mumbled to himself, his consciousness hadn't fully returned and he was doing his best to wrap his mind around what his family was telling him. He had never heard of anyone surviving the underworld before, let alone anyone traveling there willingly.

He stood up and began to pace back and fourth, as his mind slowly worked its way through the problem at hand. He was still filled with wrath, but he had a wife to save, and a necromancer to kill. 

Levy continued. "We can't save the dead Natsu, but Luce isn't dead yet, so there is a chance we can bring her back with us"

Natsu nodded his head in understanding of her words and worked the equation out even more. 

The crowd let out a sigh of relief when Natsu halted and commanded his dragon slayers to start getting ready for the upcoming attack.

"Who are you bringing with you?" Erza questioned him, and as she did the entire collection of Fairy Tail wizards, and their teammates from the surrounding guilds looked to Natsu for direction. He had unknowingly taken the lead amongst all of his peers, and would lead them into a mission against the world of death itself. He knew he could only bring the strongest, and closest of his friends; and that he could only ask those who would be willing to risk their lives to save his mate.

Natsu began in a stern, yet decisive voice. "We're going to need three groups. One to transport the infected to Fairy Tail, and help find a cure for this virus; another group to watch and maintain the base camp, if Lucy escapes, this will be where she tries to go; and finally a third group to follow me into the underworld."

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding, and so, Natsu continued. "Leon, and Mest, I'd like you both to be in charge of transportation, and help to escort Wendy, Sherria, and Warrdon back to Fairy Tail. Mest, your mind darkness should help make the travel easy. Leon and Mest will offer the defense, and when you arrive at Fairy Tail I expect you to guard the prisoners while Wendy and Warrdon work with Porlyusica to come up with a cure."  
The four wizards whose names had been mentioned nodded their heads and began to pack up, in hopes of reaching the last train of the evening. They had to meet up with Warrdon and take a large group of high ranked wizards prisoners onto a lengthy train ride.

 

"Mira, I'd like you to supervise Hibiki and Sherry here at the base camp. It should be simple enough with regular patrols scheduled to keep you from getting invaded, and with the She-Devil running defense, the base should be just fine without us." The three nodded their heads, and although Mira seemed a little disappointed, they all agreed to stay behind and keep the base safe. 

"For the third group, I'll need the rest of the dragon slayers with me to fight the Necromancer," The large group of men took a step forward, with pride. They were well suited for such a high ranked mission.  
Natsu took a breath and then added on. "Levy, you're going to be our navigator, and I'd like Erza, Minerva, and Jellal to come along to help keep Lucy safe, and open any portals to and from the underworld. If need be, you can take Lucy back while we slayers fight off the necromancer."

The four responded each in their own way. Erza said it would be her honor. Jellal remained silent, but a twinkle in his eye told of his inner excitement. Levy seemed thrilled to be helping her "Lucy-Chan" and Minerva thought it was a great opportunity to apologize for the wrongs she had done to Lucy in their water battle at the Grand Magic Games. 

"Finally," Natsu continued "Since we're going into a type of spirit world, I'd like for you Yukino to come along," Natsu spoke in a soft voice then handed the timid young girl his mate's celestial keys. "I think that they will all agree to let you use their keys, and help save Lucy from certain death."

Yukino hiccuped in surprise. She had never heard of using another Celestials Wizards Key's while they were still contracted to their original owner. On top of that, she wasn't entirely certain she could get along with all of Lucy's spirits. It had taken years for her to develop relationships with her own spirits. She only wielded two golden gate keys it, and it strained her greatly to call them out. 

"I, don't know if that is a good idea Natsu," Yukino began to explain to her senior.  
Sting saw the fear, and confusion in the young girl's expression and instantly ran to her side to defend her against the unthinkable request. The white slayer began to bark at Natsu insisting that he take the keys back, and leave Yukino out of this. Natsu, on the other hand, stood his ground and insisted that Yukino was the only other celestial mage around to do the job.  
As the two began to scream back and forth Loke popped out of the air and walked to Yukino's side.  
"Yukino," he began "all of the spirits have talked, and we have received a special blessing from our king to allow a one-time use of each key, by yourself alone, each summons will only work if it directly helps to free our queen from danger." 

Yukino hiccupped again, "What if I don't have the strength? I'm no Queen Heartfilla" as she questioned her voice wavered with doubt.  
Sting wrapped his arm around her waist and said that as long as she did her best, everyone would be in her debt. She shyly accepted his advice and smiled openly for all to see.  
"For Lucy!" She cheered, and everyone repeated in earth shattering battle cry "For LUCY!"  
_____

____  
Everyone separated from their impromptu team meeting and headed off to their separate tents. Each one needing to pack for the upcoming excursion in the underworld; and each wizard needed a good night sleep so that they could do their best tomorrow. No one really knew how long of a walk they had in front of them, and into the underworld.

As the mages packed up their belongings and settled in for a good night sleep, Mira patrolled silently around their encampment. She was first on century duty, and would make sure that all her friends would get a peaceful sleep so that they were prepared for tomorrow. As Mira rounded the final corner of her latest circle of tents she heard the voices of muffled shouting. Her inner curiosity peaked and she slowed her pace down so that she could hear what was going on.

"They are counting on me!" A female voice shouted.  
"I don't care!" A gruff man's voice replied  
"She's my BEST friend Gajeel!" The voice which Mira realized was Levy's whispered in a complaint.  
"You're staying here and that's final!" Gajeel ordered  
"LIKE HELL I AM!" Levy shouted loud enough, that it was clear she no longer cared who was listening. "I. am. going. to. get. my. FRIEND. Deal with it!" Levy shouted then stormed out of the tent  
Gajeel stormed out in the other direction, with Pantherlily hot on his tail.

 

__  
Mira followed the two men down towards the tree line, and sat close enough to hear them, but far enough away to not be easily noticed. She assumed that the dragon slayer was too upset to hear the third set of footsteps.  
“I can't believe her!” Gajeel stormed at his suddenly tall companion. Pantherlily wisely chose to keep quiet. “She should listen to me! It's for her own protection! For all, we know this necromancer creep is kidnapping Dragon Slayer Mates on purpose!”  
“Hmm, yes, well she isn't actually mated to you yet Gajeel,” Pantherlily suggested, hoping that his platitude would give his teammate some comfort.  
“She might as well be! We're a team! She and I are perfect together! Gajeel practically howled, venting his frustrations into the night air.  
“I know you think so Gajeel,” Pantherlily spoke soothingly “But perhaps Levy doesn't realize your intentions or your position together.” 

Gajeel's thoughts stumbled momentarily “After the fight we just had, I assumed she would know, she's the smart one after all.”  
Pantherlily's expression didn't mask his confusion as well as he had hoped it would. “I doubt that argument gave her any clarity Gajeel.”

“No,” Gajeel huffed in frustration “Not that fight, the one we had against Guild Arts, it was amazing!”  
“Ahh” realization hit Pantherlily. “I still can't believe you didn't take me with you," he spoke with a trace amount of annoyance in his voice.

“I wanted us to have some time to just be ourselves, to see how we were in a team just us two,” Gajeel explained, trying to recover his lost footing. He hadn't realized that he had accidently insulted his best friend by asking him to stay out of the SSS class fight.

“Why don't you tell me about how it went; then maybe I'll understand where Levy is coming from a little bit better,” Pantherlily suggested.

Gajeel sat down on a nearby log, his head hung low, and his voice was full of longing. “You should have seen it Lily; it was amazing.”  
Pantherily nodded his head and silently urged his friend to continue the story.

*Flashback*  
Levy and Gajeel charged towards their appointed opponent, each with smiles on their faces. The two had worked side by side time and time again throughout their time on teams, and working for the magic council. However, in all that time, they had never really fought anyone completely alone.  
Over the past few years they had each other's backs, and supported one another through nearly everything; and yet they hadn't done more than that. 

Levy still felt slightly jilted by him, she had laid her heart on the line, and he still managed to keep her on the hook. He hadn't exactly blown her off but instead had asked if she would wait on him. She still didn't entirely know what that meant but she knew he always kept his word, and if that meant waiting then she would wait. 

As they approached Guildarts Gajeel had wanted to ask her to fall back and let him have this one, he didn't want to put her in danger, but he didn't want to insult her either. Since his resolve wavered he figured it was better to let her have her way; Guildarts wasn't that dangerous anyways.

The fight had started off simple enough, Gildarts would come in with a quick Crash Strike and they would dodge it and come at him from either side. Levy used a trap spell, while Gajeel wielded an Iron Sword. 

Suddenly Guildarts broke off into four different versions of himself, outnumbering them both two to one. Gajeel managed to fight off the hand to hand combat with a bit of effort, but Levy wasn't as lucky.  
The two smaller Guildarts had her arms held at either side, yielding her useless without her script magic.  
Gajeel ripped towards her, and pounded into them, but only managed to take on three at once.  
Using her freed hand Levy began writing in the air.  
"Carbon" Landed right beside Gajeel and he bit down on it as he fought three against one.

When Guildarts realized that this fight was getting serious, he knew that his best chance for success was to go after the weaker fighter. Returning to his singular self he plowed into Levy's rib cage with his Crash Strike and Shatter a few of her ribs.

Levy crumpled to the ground in agony. She forced herself to push away the pain and test herself to make sure her lungs hadn't been punctured in the attack. Luckily they hadn't been. 

Gajeel's vision went red, everything slowed down, and his every action became more calculated. It was as if the attack was now in slow motion. He could easily see the oncoming attack to his left size, he faked a step back, and instead stepped into the attack and slashed across the torso of the enemies body in front of him. The man before him no longer held any personality, if he was killed in the process then so be it. He attacked over and over again, and each time his foe managed to dodge him.  
The two were in a dance of fury each endlessly attacking the other, while simultaneously dodging the incoming strikes. Gajeel had managed to place himself between the girl who he worshiped and the man who had caused her harm. As he attacked he could hear her whispering in the background.  
Slowly her voice grew louder and louder, from a whisper to slight yell. She was giving him instructions, and without his full awareness, he was being pulled back to reality. He followed her voice and listened to it with every fiber of his being, he could hear her pain it, but he could also hear her trust in him.  
As his vision cleared he realized that this fight was practically a dance and that he was leading their opponent slowly farther and farther away from her, and into the silent trap she had created behind the unaware Gildarts.  
As Gajeel forced him further and further back Levy build the trap even more. She prepared for every attack he would make, be it dividing into smaller versions of himself, or trying to break the cage with a crash strike.  
Once the cage was complete Gajeel wielded his final attack. Guildarts flawlessly dodged it and landed square in the middle of the trap Levy had been laying. It snapped shut, and Gajeel jumped in the air, spinning towards his teammate to make sure she was safe.

With Gildarts safely secured, Gajeel lifted the dainty women into his arms and carried her across the field towards their resident healer. 

 

He didn't care if she said she was ok, he would ensure that she had the best medical care available and hopeful, she would be able to heal quickly.

The entire length of their journey to Wendy Gajeel offered praise to his brilliant teammate. She had outsmarted one of the best fighters in Fiore, all the while merging her powers with him perfectly. He was practically glowing with pride for her but was held back by the disappointment he felt in allowing her to get hurt. 

_  
Wendy had done a fantastic job fixing the shattered ribs, and although a bandage was needed for the bruising, there were no longer any broken bones. Levy carefully hid the deep dark purple bruises underneath her shirt, she knew that if Gajeel saw them he would never forgive himself... even though they weren't his fault in the first place. She should have known better than to try to take on Gildarts of all people in hand to hand combat. 

Once she was covered she headed back to her partner, and walked beside him to go back and cuff Guildarts. Gajeel had pouted at first, but with a bit of coaxing, they began to talk about how well their attack had gone, how Guildarts had thought that she was out of the fight, and yet she was still able to use her magic against him.  
The complimented each other endlessly and both were secretly pleased that they made such a fantastic team. They cuffed Guildarts and sat down to catch their breath. She had thought she covered the cringe she made when bending well, but apparently, she hadn't, because in an instant Gajeel was next to her gently prodding at her side. 

She instantly screeched in pain and swatted his hand away. Then realizing she had just tumbled in the trap he had laid for her, she batted her eyelashes at him.  
"I swear I'm fine Gajeel, really" She brimmed with artificial pleasantries.  
"Bullshit! I want to see now Lev," HE replied, knowing that her smile was an act to keep her out of trouble.  
"Really Gajeel, I'm fine..." She trailed off, losing her train of thought to the scowl he was now showing.

"Lift your shirt up Levy, Or I will" He ordered her.  
She broke into a massive blush and thought to herself about how that wouldn't be all that bad, but then remembered how rough he would be, even accidently, and decided it was best to lift the shirt off herself.

As she lifted the shirt she was relieved that the wrap of bandages was around her, hoping that they would offer another layer of protection against his stare. Her hope was short lived, though because he carefully tugged at the edge of it to inspect just how serious the area bellow it was. 

The both cringed when his gazed locked onto the deep dark bruising. It was such a dark purple that it was nearly black.  
"Exactly what did HE do to you?" Gajeel questioned the pink-cheeked girl.  
"I'd rather not say" Levy replied.

"Levy, you know I care about you, and don't want to see you hurt, but since it's already happened, I need to know what happened so I can help make it better," Gajeel gently probed her.

Although his hands were balled into a fist, that was nearly white with the strain he managed to keep his voice low and sweet.

Levy wasn't used to him sounding so caring. It swept her rationality away and caused her to reveal just how serious the attack against her had been.  
"Well he broke all the ribs on this side," she said while gesturing "I had some minor interior bleeding, but Wendy fixed all that, it's just bruises now"

Gajeel nodded in acceptance of her words, and gently lowered her shirt to cover her back up. Just as he was about to speak he noticed his boss streaking across the field. His senses went onto red alert and he began to run after his Alpha.

*End Flashback*

"SO you see Lily," Gajeel grumbled bellow his breath, "I told her I care for her,"  
Pantherlily carefully controlled the look of amusement that nearly spread across his face, he realized that this was a difficult arrangement for the tough metal slayer, and yet, he found it so adorable to see the poor man struggling with how he felt for the delicate bluenette who had grown on them both. 

"Gajeel" He began "Levy may not have realized exact what you meant when you said you care for her." He coughed to keep his voice sounding stern "She's been waiting for a response from you for over a year, so something so indirect may have been misunderstood." Pantherlily kindly explained. "And on top of that, by asking her to stay behind tomorrow, you likely wounded her pride."

"WHO cares about her PRIDE" Gajeel stormed, jumping from his seat to pace back and forth. "I want her to be safe, I don't care if it offends her!" He angerly complained. 

"Gajeel, if you want to date a mage, you need to accept that she is going to be in dangerous situations and that the best thing you can do is be by her side to help keep her safe." Pantherlily calmly explained.

"A fat lot of good that did! I was two feet away and that asshole smashed her to pieces!" He vented into the air, nearly roaring in frustration.  
"Gajeel, you were up against one of the best hand to hand combat fighters in all of Fiore, who specifically targeted her, and she managed to not only stay alive but to successfully coordinated with you to trap him. I think you owe her some credit"  
"You're NOT helping Lily!" Gajeel fumed  
"No, Gajeel, I am helping, you're just wrong!" Pantherlily raised his voice to his best friend then decided it was time to leave the confused iron slayer to himself. Hopefully, Gajeel could sort it out on his own. Lily released his wings and said his goodbyes, taking off into the air to fly back to the camp. Gajeel nodded, agreeing that maybe it was a good idea for him to calm down and think this through more thoughtfully.

Pantherlily took off towards their shared tent, and just as he reached the edge of the forest he bumped into the spying Mirajane.  
"Mira, I think it's best if you head for home," Lily explained.  
"Yes, of course," She pattered behind him, slowly heading back to continue her century duty. She felt bad for intruding so much, but couldn't help herself with such juicy gossip available. 

__

It wasn't quite late yet, but it was very quiet. Everyone headed to bed ahead of schedule for the early rise tomorrow, and she seemed to be the last one awake in their small encampment. She paced back and forth, unable to stop her frustration from seeping out into every step. 

She had been waiting for what seemed like forever, and Gajeel still hadn't given her any sign that they were going to end up together. She wanted more than what he was giving her, hell, she was nearly eighteen, and still hadn't even been kissed. Sure she had a few who were interested, but the only boy she had ever wanted to kiss her seemed to be oblivious.

To make matters worse, he apparently thought she was weak and not capable of defending herself. 

Of course, after their battle against guildarts, he would be doubting her abilities, but it didn't seem fair to her. Yes she had foolishly let the man get an attack in, and it had caused her serious, life-threatening harm, but she couldn't help but wish she had earned more of his trust by now.  
She paced back and forth replaying the day's events over in her head, she knew that it couldn't be changed, but wished that somehow it could be.  
She was so frustrated that her pacing began to become a little bit carried away. She wanted to force herself to stop and focus on the fight she and her partner were having, but before she could a silent arm touched her shoulder. She jumped a mile high, worried that Gajeel had been right, and it was the necromancer come to get her.  
She realized that she was completely wrong, it that it was the man she had been pacing about. Gajeel's hand quickly jerked back.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Gajeel spoke while his toes tried to drive holes into the ground bellow him.  
"It's fine, Gajeel, what did you want?" Levy spoke, and although she tried to keep the snappy attitude out of her voice, she failed nearly completely.  
Gajeel normally would have called her on the harsh behavior, but if she was going to listen to him, then he needed her in a good mood.

"Listen, Lev, I need to talk to you." He spoke while leaving his eyes cutting into the ground.  
Levy looked around and picked a soft spot on the ground, she sat down and patted beside her. Gajeel nodded and sat down.

"So Lily and I were talking, and he made some good points," Gajeel sighed, having to admit out loud that he was wrong was always a difficult task. "Lily said that if you and I were going to work out, that I had to accept you as a mage, and that means you're going to be in dangerous situations."  
Levy sucked down air in surprise. Had she heard him correctly? It sounded like he was talking about them being together.  
"Gajeel, what did you just say? About us working out?" She carefully questioned.

"Shit, I got ahead of myself again, see, earlier when I said I cared about you, I was trying to tell you, well I wanted to ask you, I mean.." His voice trailed off in a scrambled mess.  
Normally Levy would have been filled with words, or jumped in to fill in the blanks, but right in that moment, she couldn't, she needed to hear it, word for word from him. She sat patiently, waiting for him to figure out exactly what he wanted to say.

"Levy," He began "I need to apologize for arguing with you earlier, I don't want to see you hurt again, and the best way for that to happen is for me to stay beside you to keep you safe. If you let me, I'll be your protector and best friend." 

Levy nodded her head in understanding but chose not to speak. She had learned with Gajeel, that if you weren't satisfied with what he said, it was best to remain silent and wait for him to say more. 

"Levy," he asked, "will you be my girlfriend?"  
His body was practically shivering, he wanted to get up and walk away to avoid the situation altogether, and just as he began to seriously consider walking away she leaned over to him. He thought that she was getting closer so that she could speak lower. He found himself completely caught off guard when instead of her speaking she slowly placed her lips on his own.  
Their kiss started off gradually but heated quickly. Before either of them knew exactly what was happening he had pinned Levy to her place on the ground and was leaning over her to mesh his mouth with her own.  
She had never known such wanting, and he had never felt such heat. With little to no self-control, Gajeel scooped the tiny women into his arms and shifted so that she was sitting on top of him. He weaved his hand into her hair and the other around her waist. As his hand met her waist he felt the layer of bandages below the soft shirt and quickly pulled away.

"Oh Levy, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about your bruises." He gently apologized while lowering her back to her own seat.  
"I couldn't care less," She sighed in absolute bliss.  
"I'll walk you back to your tent," He spoke while rising from his seat.  
She couldn't believe how chivalrously he was acting, but basked in every second of it that she had.  
As they reached her tent she went on her tiptoes to kiss him again.  
This time, the kiss was soft and gentle, and as he kissed her, he moved the tents door out of the way so that they could both walk inside.

Levy's face instantly went royal red! She took a large step back and put her hands in the air.  
"Gajeel, you just asked me out, I'm not that kind of girl, you can't just share a bed with me."  
Gajeel burst into outright laughter, it bubbled over till Levy was red in embarrassment. He grabbed at the stitch that had cut into his side from the laughter and tried to slow it down enough to explain what was going on.  
"Lev, I couldn't share a bed with you even if I wanted to, in fact, I won't be able to for a whole nother year, it's kind of a dragon thing," His voice trailed off momentarily, before he continued "You did, however, agree to let me be your protector, and that means I'm on guard duty till this necromancer is dealt with." As he spoke he spun her around so that she could see the second sleeping bag he had moved into her room while she was pacing outside. It was a bit presumptuous, but he knew the only way she would agree to let him sleep in the same tent as she is if it was already done by the time she saw it.  
"But what will the others think?" She questioned him  
"Who cares, I'm far from the only guy sleeping in a girls tent tonight, all of the guys are protecting their girls," Gajeel explained in both amusement and concern. Not wanting to admit how freaked out this thing had gotten everyone.

"Well if you say so," Levy agreed, then kissed him one last time before crawling into her bed. The activities of the day had drained her both physically and emotionally, and what she needed more than anything else in the world was a good night sleep. Before she even had time to enjoy the sight of Gajeel taking his shirt off for sleep, she was fast asleep.  
Gajeel chuckled to himself and crawled into his sleeping bag, knowing that dawn was going to come sooner then they wished to admit.

This was going to be more of a challenge than anyone cared to admit, and he was going to do his absolute best at keeping his girl safe.


	14. Chapter 14

Lucy was surrounded by darkness. She could feel the cold hard steel wrapped around her wrists. Her body ached from the length of time she had been in this cold, damp, darkness. She needed rest, and food, but couldn't calm herself down enough to let sleep take her for more than a brief skip of time here and there.

She focused on the darkness, on the shifting glimmers of light that would sway across the room. She wished she could smell something other than the rank stench of death and decay, but instead all could she smell was the rotting of a life once lived.

She heard the scampering of a small vermin's footsteps and the whimpering of someone in pain. She called out into the desolate clearing but heard nothing in reply. Her voice was cracking from the lack of water, it hurt to speak, and she could barely get any volume into her words; but even with that, she tried again. She might be powerless in these cuffs, but she was strong in more ways than one. She didn't have to be a great mage to concur her problems, she was Lucy of Fairy Tail and she refused to give up on herself.

"Hh, hello?" She called into the wasteland of blank territory.

She heard a slight gasp in response before a responding voice called out:

"Lucy?"

"Levy?" Lucy responded in shock.

"Are you OK?" They asked each other in perfect unison. Both softly sighed in acknowledgment of the irony. They were both more worried about their friend's safety than their own.

"I'm just chuffed" Levy explained "nothing serious."

"Good, " Lucy began before asking "How long have I been here?"

"Since yesterday morning, they just brought me in, while you were unconscious. I'm glad you're alright," Levy responded. Before a sharp intake of breath had her placing herself against the nearby wall.

"Lu-chan, someone's coming." They both pulled themselves as close to each other as possible, even though they were separated by the cavernous room.

The fear they felt was crawling across their skin like millipedes, but they each refused to show a sign of weakness. They took defiant stances and prepared themselves for a fight.

The door was practically kicked open, the crash of its weight slammed into the adjacent wall. Lucy quivered in response to the intruder, whom she recalled. In front of the two girls, standing in the open doorway was Master Jose of Phantom Lord. A man whose appearance she instantly recognized, and had a decent fear of. Since the last time they had met he had kidnapped her. He rippled with an aura of darkness, and smelled like death itself, but maybe if Lucy distracted him like last time, then she and Levy could both escape.

As Jose walked into the darkened room, Lucy began to realize just how awful the situation was. The man who stood before her seemed to be unable to remember who she was. He dragged himself forward and as a ray of light hit him, Lucy inhaled with shock and fear. Half of his face had rotted away, and his eyes were glazed over in a way that could only be credited to members of the deceased.

She tried to reason with him, tried to plead her case, but he simply marched into the room, her argument falling on deaf ears. He loomed over her, and silently cast a spell all around her. With the spell cast, Lucy was trapped, she was forced to grovel to the man before her, and then was painfully dragged across the floor and out of the room.

Levy struggle until her wrist bleed, she fought against her restraints, tugging against them until the bruises she was creating reached all the way to her bones. As she pulled and yanked, trying to free herself. All the while she screamed after her best friend. She called and called for Lu-Chan to come back to her, to fight her way out. She screamed until her voice was gone, and her body was limp. When she had nothing left to give, she fell to the floor and began to weep.

Natsu awoke with venom in his veins, he hated the world. He hated his friends and his family. He hated the bed he was in, he hated the color of the moon, he hated everything and anything within his view.

He tried to hurry through his morning routine in preparation for the day to come, but it seemed to take an eternity. He hated his backpack, and as he punched each object into the bag he cursed, and then when he was done, he cursed some more.

With his bag packed, he left the tent and began circling the base to check that people's lights were on, and they were getting ready to leave. The sun hadn't risen yet, but if they were going to leave at the crack of dawn then they needed to rise before the sun did.

He saw a light flickering in every tent, each one that was, accept Gajeel's and Levy's. He decided to pick on Gajeel first, knowing that aggressive slayer would be able to take on the brunt of the frustration Natsu planned on throwing at him.

Natsu whipped the tent door open and was about to unleash his fury upon the oversleeping giant, but found himself staring at an empty tent. Without a second thought, he headed for Levy's tent. If that asshole thought it was ok to be late because he had been up all night messing around with his new girlfriend, he was going to be taught a lesson. Natsu planned on teaching him some manners and respect for his teammates.

He flung the canvas door to the side and found Gajeel in a deep sleep. Natsu's temper flared, and the rage he felt began to free itself. First, the cursing began, and after that had no effect, Natsu decided to kick things up a notch. He kicked the foot of the man on the floor, and then kicked him harder; still to no effect. Unable to hold back his frustration anymore he wailed a kick into the side of the sleeping giant. Still, nothing happened.

Natsu took a step closer, and realized, with no small amount of shame, that the iron slayer, wasn't just sleeping, he was under a spell.

Natsu roared into the night air. His volume immediately caught the attention of his teammates, and they came running. Some of the men still hadn't put their pants on, and most of the girls seemed to be wearing their pajamas still.

"Where is Levy?" Natsu asked, to no one in particular. "She should be able to wake him up." Mirajane nodded in agreement "I'll go look for her." she spoke. While the group looked from side to side, and Mirajane left to seek out Levy, Jellal stepped forward. "Actually, I think it best if I handle this one." He spoke. As he spoke, he rose his hand and allowed it to be consumed with a white hot glow, the glow looked like it was going to burn into Gajeel's skin. The luminous light reached Gajeel's temple, and instead of melting the skin away, it entered into his mind without so much as a scratch upon the skin.

Gajeel bolted into awareness and jumped into action. "Where is LEVY?" he questioned while running out of the room. Before he could get out of the base camp, Sting and Rogue had grabbed both of his arms and forcibly held him in place, calling out to Natsu to come help them.

Mira rushed towards him, and the large group of wizards flowed out of the iron slayer's tent and followed after him.

"Levy is gone," Mira practically cried. Sting and Rogue both nodded a simple gesture of explanation, as if to explain why they had captured their teammate.

"I noticed her scent just a minute ago when I was using a tree," Sting began "It lead back towards the Cathedral, and she wasn't alone" Sting explained.

"Who was with her?" Gajeeel questioned, his need to know, overcoming his need to escape their hold.

Rogue looked at him with pity and spoke: "We don't know who took her, but she has been taken. Whomever took must work with the necromancer, because they smelled like death." Rogue gulped in fear when Gajeel's look of destruction overshadowed his features.

"GAJEEL!" Natsu howled. Causing the lesser slayer to stiffen to the Alpha's summons.

"Sting, Rogue, explain. Erik, Laxus, stay put. Everyone else, go finish packing. It looks like we will be leaving as soon as we can. Mira, I'd like your team to go pack the dragon slayer's things for them." His tone was harsh and unwavering; and as he spoke, everyone whirled into motion, following his orders explicitly. They all walked away in a hurry, knowing that with Levy missing, they needed to leave immediately.

"Rogue," Natsu continued "How are we supposed to find the underworld without our navigator?" he questioned.

"Gajeel picked a smart one," Rogue explained, and then Sting cut him off. "Where ever that stranger took her, Levy managed to make a scent trail to lead us to her."

Gajeel nodded with pride for the women he loved. Then he spoke: "Was it magically enhanced or a regular trail?"

Sting seemed confused by the question, but Rogue understood.

"A regular trail. She has her brains, but no access to her magic," Rogue explained.

Gajeel growled in response, he was unable to contain the violence that was building within him. His protective dragon slayer personality was seeping out; and even though he was just on stage one of the curse, he needed to protect the woman of his dreams.

"Erik," Natsu spoke. "You're going to lead the group now. You'll need to make sure no one hears us coming until we are already there." Cobra nodded in agreement.

"Laxus," Natsu grabbed the burly man's attention. "You are still welcome to come if you choose, but I'd prefer you to stay here and make sure your mate stays safe."

Sting and Rogue stared in shock; 'When had Laxus found a mate?' they wondered, but neither spoke. They knew it would be better to ask Laxus about his new found discovery after they rescued the missing girls. With their attention still on the lightning slayer they witnesses his reaction. For the first time ever, the dragon slayers saw their Thunder God blush. Apparently, even Laxus hadn't admitted that he had found his mate.

"I'll stay," Laxus volunteered while watching the white-haired mage exit the nearby tent with a pack full of his belongs.

Natsu gestured his approval. "It's best if we leave this base well fortified." His voiced sounded slightly relieved to know that his team would have a safe fall back, and access to communication with their guild if need be.

"Then it's decided," Sting concluded in his magically cheery voice "time to go." As he spoke the rest of the nearby mages began to gather around them. The group looked around one another, each mentally cataloging that their group had fully gathered together and that each member was properly equipped. Sherria passed Gajeel his bag, and the group began to walk behind Cobra.

They traveled two by two as Erik lead the way. He chose to walk a full ten paces in front of the others so that he could focus his ears. Slightly behind him, were Natsu and Gajeel. They walked in complete silence, each on high alert, and feeling a lot of anxiety.

Behind the Alpha, and his second, Erza and Jellal walked hand in hand. On the heels of the two love birds were Yukino and Minerva. The two chatted quietly about Yukino's progress with Lucy's spirit Loke was going. (He was helping her prepare for using Lucy's keys). Sting and Rogue took up the rear, making sure that no one followed behind them.

The small blue haired girl had no idea how much time had passed. Her body was racked with pain. She was taken over by massive tremors while her sobbing continued. Her tears were relentless and seemed to last an eternity. She felt overwhelmed by despair. Just last night she had been kissing the man whom she waited years for, and now they were an entire world apart.

She had tried her best to keep him safe. When the Necromancer's henchman had awoken her, with Gajeel already under his spell, she had no choice but to cuff herself and walk away. The spell that had been placed over him was a nasty one; it guaranteed that if the user's wishes weren't followed perfectly the victim of the spell would be melted into a pool of magma. She had wanted to scream, to cry out for him, to fight off the mercenary. However, she knew that if she did anything other than follow the dead man's directions Gajeel would have been instantly killed by the high SS class spell he had been put under. Not wanting Gajeel's life to be forfeited, she followed the orders she was given.

She was directed to follow the magically cloaked man back to the Cathedral and allowing herself to be taken, prisoner. It seemed to her that it was a price worth paying; her life for his. However, even when she was following directions to complete that trade, her brain had kicked into overdrive. It truly was a gift to be so intelligent. She knew that if there was a hope of her survival it would be to lead Natsu's team to her.

In an effort to create a useful scent trail she would pause and place her hand on a rock, or accidently drop a hair barrette, at every opportunity. She prayed with every fiber of her being that it wouldn't rain. She believed that Gajeel would come looking for her, and that meant she could lead her partner and teammates to the Necromancer.

Now she sat, closing herself off from the world. Originally she had been surprised to be placed in the same cell as her best friend; who amazingly was still alive. She had such hope for a moment, but then Jose had come, and with him, came more death. She knew that when he came for Lucy, he was literally carrying the blonde girl to her grave. No one lived in the underworld. It was a world of spirits. According to every record she had ever read, the underworld was just like the celestial spirit world; going there guaranteed death. Sure there had been that one time, where Lucy's spirits had allowed them into the Spirit world;. However, they had a celestial wizard to guide their way; approval from the celestial king; and an item of clothing for each person to anchor their souls properly.

As much as she raked her mind, she couldn't figure out how she was still breathing air. Despite her confusion, she knew that whatever the cause, it would be short lived. Still, she hoped that Gajeel would come for her.

Taking a deep breath in, she tried to stop the sobbing. Then she took another, and with that second breath, she heard footsteps. She forced herself to remain silent, taking air in a little at a time. She waited to see who was coming for her.

The door opened and a hooded figure walked in. It was, she presumed, the Necromancer. Behind the cloaked character walked in Phantom Lord's old Guilmaster Jose. His flesh was falling off of his skull in several places, and the effect was revolting. Behind Jose were two other men that Levy recognized from Gajeel's old guild. Each of them had places where their skin was falling off, and the purple man even had one of his glazed over eyes missing from his skull.

Then the worst happened, after the three henchmen followed the Necromancer into the dungeon cell, he paraded in none other than Lucy herself. Her steps were empty and unfamiliar, her eyes were still brown, but they were completely void of recognition.

Levy's body began to crumple into itself, and the tears ran down her face completely uncontrolled.

"How could you do this to her! She was SPECIAL!" Levy's broken voice rang out and echoed off of the walls.

"Was?" A cheery female voice responded. "Levy dear, Lucy is more than special; she is the queen in this game of chess, and with her, I shall take down the king."

Levy choked on her own words, she had nothing to say, nothing to hope for.

"It's such a pity that you aren't stronger," The feminine voice continued. "Still it will be fun to use you against him."

Levy looked at her nemesis in disbelief, she was going to be used like some useless pawn against the man she treasured above all else. She couldn't stand for it; she had nothing left to live for. Her weakness had been exposed, and she had no hope left for survival. If her best friend had been killed, then surely the little script mage like herself didn't stand a chance against this villain.

"You mustn't mutter darling" The voice continued.

Levy hadn't realized that she had been talking to herself.

"And besides, your friend isn't dead, not yet anyways, she's simply infected. He wouldn't come for her if she was dead."

Levy looked up in shock, .. not dead... Lucy wasn't dead...? She sure looked dead, but then again, there was something in those brown eyes, something buried deep down in those lifeless eyes, that reached out to the bluenette and gave her hope.

"You're going to infect us both?" Levy questioned the women in front of her, staring in bewilderment.

"I'm afraid, not dear, you see, I can only infect those who have at least an SS rank storage of magical energy. You, my dear, would simply melt into a puddle on my feet," The psychopath explained. "Just look at my rotting henchmen, it's such a pity, I can infect the living, and bring back the dead. Although I can't keep the weak ones from melting away. The lack of heartbeat does slow the process down a bit, but I much prefer the strong ones." The cruel hooded Necromancer spoke with the ring of a maniacal laugh in her voice.

"If you're not going to infect me, then what do you want?" Levy spoke with just a hint of courage seeping into her voice.

"You, little bookworm, are going to tell me a story; a story filled with dragons."

"No, I..." Levy began to protest, but her sentence was cut short by the blood curtailing scream that was unleashed from her lips.

"Tell me everything dragon-claimed" the Necromancer spoke in a voice so sickeningly sweet that it made Levy's ears hurt too.

Levy refused to speak, and with every refusal her screams would grow louder. She felt like her insides were on fire, that her muscles were burning off of her bones. Then it would stop; in an instant, she would be completely normal as if the torture had never happened. That was when the bitch would question her.

"Tell me about after they are mated. Tell me about Stage Three of the Curse, and all about the Alpha process!" The witch questioned again.

With sweat dripping off of her brow, Levy took a deep breath and mentally prepared for the next attack.

"I have no idea, what you're talking about," she muttered, all while struggling against her bonds, in a futile attempt at freedom.

The sorcerer laughed again. "You're a dragon-claimed, don't LIE to ME!" She screeched, "For example: after stage three when the pair is mated, the two must admit their love, before the end of the waning moon, or the dragon will lose his mind."

"What are you talking about?" Levy questioned in disbelief.

This outburst seemed to intrigue the enchantress; "Really, you haven't seen an unreasonable amount of madness seeping into the dragon's every word? His sanity slipping, and aggression taking over? If I can only keep him away for her until the end of the waning moon, just two more nights, then the curse will take hold of him and he will murder his mate."

Levy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe that Natsu would murder Lucy, and yet, the signs were there. All the anger, and vengeance that he had displayed. It was beginning to consume him, so much so that his rationality was in question after Lucy's disappearance.

Levy wondered if the same thing might happen to her and Gajeel? Now that they had kissed, would he come to killer her by the end of the waxing moon? How had he handled her kidnapping? Did he need to be sedated for others safety, just like Natsu had been?

She didn't know what being dragon-claimed meant, but it sounded an awful lot like what was going on between Lucy and Natsu. Were she and Gajeel a mated pair? Was he on his way to rescue her, only to end up killing her in the process?

The confusion in Levy's expression had Shayda the sorcerer convinced. It seemed that the dragons didn't do as good of a job as they should have to inform those they claimed. The claimed should have been informed about the side effects and possible execution by their spouse if they mated a dragon.

No matter Shayda though, as she spun on her heels and headed for the door. Even if the little bookworm didn't know how the Alpha Bond worked, Shayda remained certain that she could control the other dragon slayer's through their Alpha's command; even after his death.

'The plan is going to work, and I'm going to have the deceased Alpha and Omega under my spell. With their power, I'll have my army of dragon slayers following my every command.' She chuckled to herself. Her plan was nearly complete. As long as they hid out in the underworld until tomorrow night the curse would win out over the majestic pink haired dragon and his mate.

Cobra had told the large group to stay put in the treeline. He wanted to silently walk around and survey the area. Although he wouldn't admit it, he didn't want any danger to come their way. With his ears and nose, he would be able to pinpoint where Levy had been taken and keep his team safe from any potential ambushes.

Erik slowly searched the area, making sure to keep one ear turned to following the conversation that Yukino and Minerva were having. He didn't want to say anything to the twin dragon slayers, but he was nearly certain that the two had found their mates. That being said, the two boys weren't old enough to realize it yet. He, however, understood what was going on. After he had put some thought into it, he was able to truly understand what was going on.

He knew how Natsu and Gajeel were affected by the curse and was glad that Gajeel was so new to it. This situation would have been much more complicated if both the Alpha and his second were reaching a stage of madness.

Cobra realized that both boys had looked over a few critical errors in their development. The first was that it seemed only Second Generation matured in their mid to late twenties. The first generation slayers seemed to mature much more quickly. The second flaw he saw, was what happened to the dragon if the mating process didn't go well.

It was clear to Cobra that Natsu was losing his mind. He had been acting like a rabid dog and didn't seem to even be aware of it. The fact Natsu couldn't see his sanity slipping made Cobra very afraid. How could he confront them, when Natsu had ten times his strength, and could potentially kill the person who tried to point out his current condition.

Cobra once again thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't mated and that as a second generation slayer he still had some time before that misfortune would happen. He silently prayed that the team would be able to rescue Lucy in time to pull Natsu back from the edge.

Cobra knew that in just a few short months he was going to be outnumbered by rabid dragon slayers. The older Laxus and first generation iron slayer would start trying to win over their unsuspecting girls, and if their affections weren't returned properly then his two fellow dragon slayers would go mad.

He still wasn't sure what the side effects of this madness would be, but he could clearly see the correlation between the madness and the love. Whenever Lucy was happy and comfortable Natsu would be his normal self; but if she was uncomfortable, uncertain, or afraid, his madness would start to take hold. This meant that wherever Lucy was; she must be very afraid.

That reminded Cobra about how Natsu foolishly lunged headfirst into battle because his girlfriend was feeling nervous about fighting on her own. If the pink haired maniac was going to pull through this, and become a successful leader of their band of misfit slayers, then he was going to have to overcome this curse.

Erik continued to sniff around; it seemed that the trail had come to an end, on top of the altar in the middle of the cathedral. He mused to himself that it must be some sort of portal's doorway, forever linking the church to death. With the location properly scouted he returned to his group, preparing himself for the travel between worlds that they were about to undertake.

Now that the area was properly scouted out, Natsu resumed his position at the point of their formation. Behind him, the rest of his team carefully followed. They reached the circular altar and spread out around it. Natsu was standing, with Erick and Gajeel on his sides. Beside Erik was the two twin slayers, then Minerva, who shared her spot opposite Natsu with Yukino. Yukino held her hand out for Jellal, who held Erza's hand, and Erza held Gajeel's. The circle around the altar was complete, all that was left was to open the doorway, and walk through.

"Jellal" Natsu gestured.

"Ah yes" Jellal replied, "First you'll each need to eat one of these" he spoke while taking a small vial from his cloaks pocket, and began passing the vial to his side so that it could make its way around the circle. "These will keep you grounded in the underworld; the effect is only temporary, but should keep you all alive," Jellal explained.

After the small vial will blue colored pills had made its rounds, Jellal continued speaking. "This is where it gets tricky. I need to use Mystogan's magic to open up an anima. I will then have to keep it open while Yukino guides us through the anima."

Yukino gulped in response. "Me? Why me?" she questioned.

"You're the only celestial wizard here, making you the only one, who can feel the underworld, and lead us to it," Jellal explained. The timid celestial wizard nodded shyly beside him.

"You must all link hands, and if anyone lets go, then the dragon slayers will be left behind. The anima normally doesn't work on dragon slayers, and if we let go of their hands it no longer will." Jellal told his friends, and they all nodded in understanding. He silently squeezed Yukino's hand just a little bit, to offer her confidence and good luck.

"All right team," Natsu's voice rang out "lets get to it!"

Yukino and Jellal nodded their heads. Jellal took off his cloak and laid it on top of the circular altar. It was smoothed out, and once he placed his hand on the cloak it began to light up with a deep red magic circle.

He then took a step back to his place and grabbed Yukino's hand, completing the circle they must all hold together until they passed through death's doorway.

The timid celestial mage was afraid at first. She didn't feel like she was strong enough to do all that everyone was asking of her. Although, she understood that they had no other choice. She wished that the more powerful Lucy Heartfilla was here, but she stood her ground and refused to disappoint her teammates. Then when the magic circle lit up she began to feel a powerful ache... something inside of her was calling her to the circle, it was begging her to come closer to it. She took a step forward, still holding her friend's hands, and when she stepped closer so did they. The altar seemed to slip away, and they were surrounded by darkness, and yet it still called to her. She took another step closer and again her teammates repeated the action. This time, they were getting so close that their shoulders were all touching.

She had no idea what was going on, but she could swear that the light above them was growing dimmer and dimmer, and some type of darkness was growing below them. It started off as a tiny speck in the center of the circle but grew larger with ever breath they took. She wanted to reach out and touch it. Jellal squeezed her hand again, reminding her of the importance of not letting go. She nodded her head and instead leaned closer to it, and as she leaned closer, it grew even more, now the entire group was shrouded by its empty blackness. Before long the blackness spread from one edge of the room to the other, and when she went to look over her shoulder to see the darkness spread, she realized the job was already done. The darkness had consumed all, and the cathedral had slipped away. They were in the portal now, and if she could just lead them further down the rabbit hole then they would soon arrive in the underworld.

She took one final step into the emptiness, and when her foot reached its location she stood upon a cold hard rock. As the others took their final steps closer they all touched down onto the rock surface. She had done it, they were in the underworld now.


	15. Chapter 15

When Natus's team touched the ground Levy's scent trail began again. This time, it was far less obvious, and because they were shrouded in nothing but dim light, and a flat wasteland of ever-expanding emptiness the trail was much harder to follow. For awhile the team walked in silence. Each of them slowly allowing their eyes to adjust to the darkness. While their steps continued onward towards the darkness, it slowly began to grow just a little bit brighter.

Natsu thought about using his flame magic to light their way, but he knew that would just be a beacon to lead their attackers to them. On top of that, it would ruin any hope of a surprise attack. So instead of using his magic he silently trekked on; with his teammates beside him.

The travel seemed like days were going by, but he knew it was only an hour or two at best. Time seemed to tick by more slowly in the dark, but he could tell bu the movement of the moon that it was actually moving faster than normal.

The distance they needed to travel seemed to grow with every step. He was starting to feel the hit to his morale, when he saw in this distance, what he realized were the peaks of a distant tower. At first, he had thought that the steep hills in the distance were actually hills, but as they approached he realized that it was the top of a tower and its nearby smaller lobby.

With their destination in sight his hope began to grow, and with it, the entire group's pace quickened. They were going to find their lost girls, and that was all the hope they all needed.

Shayda sat on her throne of bones. The large tower she had built was the only structure in this barren plain. She was proud of the work she had accomplished over the last several years. She had been able to escape her family and practice her magic the way she had always wanted.

She rose from her seat and walked toward the nearby mirror. As she saw herself within it, she lowered her cloak and stared at her reflection. She stood a simple 5 foot 6 inches, with spiked purple hair that clashed pleasingly against her powder blue eyes and deep red lips. When she stared into the mirror she always saw disappointment and well-hidden scars.

She had become twisted with time and learned to love the darkness all around her. Eventually coveting the dark and desolation.

She once was a sweet and beautiful young girl. She had been raised the daughter of a wealthy King and Queen. She was the Princess of Sawula . Her parents were always so sweet and kind; that was until they lost their fortune to the Heartfilla Empire.

At the age of just five the Heartfilla's took over her families fortunes and ruined her future. All of her hope was lost; her families chance at acquiring her a successful marriage gone. It was a scandal and she was the center of it. How was she supposed to marry a King , like in her fairy tales, if she wasn't wealthy enough to acquire one?

After the loss of their wealth, her parents turned bitter, and eventually began to enjoy taking out their anger on their beloved daughter. It didn't matter how well she did, how beautiful she had grown, she was never good enough for them. She suffered through their abuse for years and all the while she had tried to please them. Eventually, she realized how pointless pleasing them was. With her plan to satisfy them failed, she tried to embrace who she was. The person she would bury deep down so as not to upset anyone. After that decision was made the darkness had become a part of her. It became attached to her soul and corrupted who she was. She began to grow obsessed with blood and gore. She wanted to examine both life and death.

By the age of ten she had become mentally unstable, and as her sickness took hold, her parents regained their footing in the financial world. As they rose to success they began to see the monster they had created. They finally saw their daughter for who she was; a deranged psychopath obsessed with the unholy.

That was when she was swept under the rug and replaced. Her parents decided that it was best to institutionalize their daughter, and gave birth to their new heir, a son they named Jaydince. He was the young Prince of Sawula; who would one day ask for Lucy Heartfilla's hand in marriage.

Shayda had lived in the asylum for six long months before she truly believed her parents were coming back for her. It took her another three months to figure out a way to escape. Once she had escaped the asylum for the wealthy, she realized that she had nowhere to go. That's when she began her life as a thief and street urchin. She picked pockets and conned people out of their lunch. She went from doorstep to doorstep to find a place to sleep. As she grew older her illegal behavior continued to grow more and more severe. Using her good looks, and sly personality she would convince a family to take her in, only to steal their silverware and leave before dawn.

Then, one fateful day, she stole an object that would become her destiny. She stole a silver key. The key called to her, and although she didn't exactly know how to, she responded to it. She held onto the key day after day, and the two whispered to each other back and forth. Until eventually she was able to sneak into a library and research how to use the key, and exactly what key it was. It took her days to figure out, but once she did she hid in the dark storage room and began the summoning process.

"I call upon thee in the world of the undead, I beckon thee to my side, pass through the gate. Open: Gate Of The Greater Reaper; come forth GRIM." She called into the darkness, and out of thin air formed the dark shrouded embodiment of a skeletal figure. It was the voice she had spoken to for weeks, the being who would become her mentor, and teach her how to get even with those who had done her wrong.

The reaper explained to her that she was a special celestial mage. He told her that she was bounded with the underworld and that she could summon him whenever she needed help or support. He helped to explain what a celestial key was, and what an underworld key was.

The underworld keys were a forbidden magic and were rarer than celestial magic. However, all celestial wizards were able to feel the pull of the underworld and work with both the celestial world and the underworld. Although the underworld's magic was a forbidden knowledge was long since forgotten, and most turned away from it the darkness that called to them in the night.

Grim explained to Shayda that the two worlds were basically a mirrored reflection of one another. That the spirit realm, and underworld were just two sides of the same coin. They were a version of heaven and hell; where the dead could rest.

Grim also explained that most Celestial wizards chose to ignore the underworld since the loss of its Queen hundreds of years ago. Nowadays almost all celestial wizards turned away from the world of the grim reapers and embraced the weaker celestial spirits.

He couldn't seem to understand why so many refused to work with his kind. Yes, they had a darker side, but humanity needed a balance of both light and dark to survive.

It seemed impossible to Shayda that so many celestial wizards turned away from the darkness. Death spirit magic had the added benefit of being more powerful and had more real life applications. For example, it could raise the dead and take control of the living. With the help of her dark celestial magic, she would be able to hunt her family down and take her rightful place as Queen.

With time she did just that. She used Grim to worm her way back into her household, and then she had him murder her parents in their sleep. After she had control of her family and her younger brother she decided to seek her revenge on the Heartfilla's. She was able to take over their household and bankrupt them, and years later she killed the man who had done her family wrong. She had orchestrated the murder of Jude Heartfilla.

She had wanted to kill the young Lucy Heartfilla, but the girl was presumed dead, and that was good enough. After she had taken down the Heartfilla's, Shayda, with the help of Grim was able to expand her empire, in both the living world and the underworld. It took her awhile to figure out how to travel back and forth between the worlds, but once she mastered that skill she was able to take over entire guilds commanding them for eternity.

First, she took over Raven Tail forcing them all into the underworld and enchanting them into her undead. Sadly the process hadn't worked on most of the men. However, the process granted her the first of her henchmen and helped her to understand the strength requirements for those she entranced.

Just when she had reached a place of absolute control, the younger Heartfilla girl had returned from her disappearance. Not only was she oblivious to the ruin that Shayda had created for her as revenge, but she didn't seem to care that her families fortune had been lost. She grieved her father, clearly, but held no hatred for the one who murdered him.

That was when Grimm convinced the sorceress of what must be done. He told her of his knowledge of dragon slayers, and how the Alpha controlled his pack. He explained that in time the dragon slayer would make Lucy a dragon-claimed.

Their plan slowly unfolded; Together they would have Lucy's love murder her. Then Shayda would have control of the entire underworlds empire, and a dragon slayer army to take over the living world. If their plan continued down the path they traveled then she would achieve total world domination in a few short years. She would marry a King and give birth to beautiful little princes, and princesses, they would be her heirs, and inherit a continent.

She didn't have an heir yet, but she planned on having a small dragon slayer all to her own very shortly. A little dragon prince perhaps.

Personally, she preferred the talented thunder god as her mate, but would settle for the sly looking Cobra. Once she was mated she could have her spouse challenge for the position as the Alpha, and together they would become the King and Queen. It was a perfect fairy tale, just like in her childhood stories; the ones that she would read before her world flipped upside down.

There had been a few challenges along the way; like how she couldn't infect dragon slayers, or that the guild masters had been captured, but they were only small snags in her master plan. She would take over the world, and be the Queen of Fiore.

The large team of hopeful rescuers approached the nearly three-story building. The lowest level was the very top of what looked to be a dungeon. The bar covered windows peaked out of the earth and reached forward like even they were trying to escape their capture.

The second story was the main lobby level. The entrance to it was up a small flight of embroidered cement stairs and then through a massive oak pair of double doors that reached from floor to ceiling.

The third and final story was actually a tower off to the left-hand side of the building. The windows that glowed against the vast emptiness showed the inside of what looked to be a spiral staircase that wrapped upwards into the tower and must lead to the Necromancer's personal chambers.

"Minerva," Natsu asked. "Can you teleport us into that?"

"I have to be able to see it to shift anyone there... and I can only shift as many people as I can see" she explained.

"Well then, let's get you to a window" Jellal finished off everyone's train of thought.

The crowd carefully edged up the embroidered stairs and worked to create a pyramid out of their bodies to lift Minerva to the closest window. With a little work, she was able to look through the window so that she could get them into the Manor they stood before.

"I can see three people. Who do we want to take their place?" Minerva asked.

Natsu thought about it for the briefest of seconds. "Send me, Sting, and Rogue in; Gajeel I want you to take Erik and go eat those bars over there on those lower windows. If the girls are in there, I need you to get them out and run them home. Erza, let's get you to break down this door, it's magically protected so could take a while. Jella, I expect you, Minerva, and Yukino to have Erza's back when these henchmen come your way." Both Gajeel and Erik nodded in understanding. It was likely that if either girl was bellow then they would be too drained to defend themselves, and likely needed medical attention as quickly as possible. Erza readied her weapon, and the others took on fighting stances.

Minerva gave them all the heads up that they were about to move. As she did Gajeel and Erik split off and headed for the lower level's window.

The shift was flawless; Natsu, Rogue, and Sting were moved to the exact position their enemies had been. In fact, the transition was so flawless that they could have kept the element of surprise and began to overtake the lair if it wasn't for the sudden battle that began to take place outside of the entrance.

Natsu quickly surveyed his surroundings. There was a door to the left, and a single chair made of bone in the center of the room. He assumed the door to the left was the way to go; and that most likely it would lead directly to the Necromancer's chambers.

The three of them began to walk silently towards the left-hand door when all of the sudden Natsu came to a screeching halt. He lifted his nose to the air and bolted towards the throne. There hidden just behind it was Lucy. Her right-hand leg was cuffed the chair's leg.

He ran up to her and swooped her into his arms.

"Lucy" he practically wept. When her eyes met his he knew something was wrong. She had joined the rank of the infected. He could smell it on her, along with a few other odd scents he didn't fully recognize.

He didn't care if she was infected; she belonged to him, she was his love, and he was going to make sure she got home.

He reached out toward the handcuffs and started to remove them so that he could take her home. As he lifted the cuff from the chair Lucy let out an air piercing scream that could only be compared to death's banshee.

All of the dragon slayers were forced to cover their ears and hope that they didn't get permanent hearing damage from the lung-crushing scream.

She screamed, and as she screamed something inside of her clicked. The less oxygen she had, the more her brain functioned. She knew that something was broken inside of her; she knew that she wasn't thinking like she normally did, but as her lungs struggled for air she was awake for just a moment. She wanted to fight off the infection that had taken hold of her, wanted to be stronger then she could measure, but it seemed impossible from where she sat; chained to a throne.

She could feel the pull of the earth they stood on calling to her, she could feel her magic returning. He had taken of the hand cuff's and with it, her connection to both life and death returned.

At first, she felt like she was going to suffocate; her lungs were completely void of oxygen from her screaming, and the screaming was an unbearable side effect of no longer being grounded to this spirit realm. She wanted to breathe, wanted to survive, wanted to fight, wanted to run, and yet all she could do was scream until she reached her death.

Even with the infection running its course, her brain still worked as the ever powerful weaponed it was. If her magic returned when the handcuffs were removed; but that also caused her lungs to feel like they were imploding, then that meant that the magic canceling handcuffs were the trigger. They were the object that grounded her to the spirit realm. It was in unbelievably brilliant solution. If someone tried to escape then they would take off the cuffs and suffocate to death from the instant lack of air.

As her brain processed the information she scrambled for a solution. She wanted to follow the directions that the infection was telling her to, but she also knew she had to survive. She grabbed the handcuffs while the nearby dragon slayers covered their ears. She took the cuffs and clipped them onto her belt, it was touching her so that she would remain planted in this world. However, because they didn't cuff around her wrist or ankle they no longer bond her magic.

As her screams stopped, her air supply returned. With that, her brain regained its full capacity, and the infection began to run its full course. She hadn't realized that the handcuffs had been holding it partially at bay up until now. The infection took hold, and somewhere inside her it merged with the curse that was darkening her soul. The two combined together to form a will crippling spell that overcame all of Lucy's free will and turned her into this world's strongest weapon.

Gajeel had chewed his way through the bars that closed off the dungeon windows from the world. He and Cobra carefully slipped through and silently weaved their way through the corridor of closed doors. They both carefully smelled each door searching them one by one for signs of either girl. The had to be extremely thorough. The girls may have been locked inside long enough for their scent to be completely contained within the cells. Gajeel and Erik knew that they couldn't go opening each door. There was likely other dead henchmen within the closed off cells; each one likely prepared to attack.

They approached a large oak door on the right-hand side of the corridor, and both noticed the distinct scent of a living boy. The two shared a brief exchange before deciding to open the door and see who was withing.

Cobra kicked the door and busted it down its center. Causing it to shatter in several places. Gajeel jumped through the debris and faced the young man within the room.

"Who are you?" He questioned the rouged looking youngster. His hair was long, and he seemed to skinny to be considered healthy.

"I'm Shayda's brother..." he responded in shame.

"Who is Shayda?" Erik quickly questioned.

"Shayda is the celestial wizard who controls this place, the living and the dead. She's insane. She murdered our parents, and has kept me trapped here for years" the young man replied.

Then Jaydince looked over to the iron slayer standing before him.

"You... you aren't Gajeel are you?" he asked with hesitation.

"How do you know that?" Gajeel asked

"Levy told me about ..." Before he could finish his sentence Gajeel had ripped him from the ground and thrown his back against the wall. "WHERE IS LEVY?!" He hollered.

"Take it easy Gajeel" Jaydince spoke, "She's sleeping two cells over, and she really needs her rest after what Shayda put her through." He explained.

Gajeel dropped him in a lump on the floor and raced to find his blue haired bookworm, Cobra walked over to the man and unchained him from the wall while leaving him cuffed. If he was the brother of the women who had imprisoned Levy and Lucy there was a good chance he was safer around the dragon slayers if he was left in chains.

Gajeel reached the room without even realizing that he had run through the doorway. He reached the small girl in the corner and broke the chains the bound her to the ground. He hoisted her into his arms and began to carry her out of the room. She remained unconscious and handcuffed, but he didn't care. His primary concern was getting her out of here.,

He smelled her hair as he carried her away, and realized that something smelled off in the metallic smell that was laced with her skin. Upon further investigation, he noticed that the handcuffs had a metal spell woven into them. She sniffed again and recognized just what it was, the handcuffs she was wearing were the ground that kept her in this world. He thought about how clever it was, and how badly he needed to get her to Jellal so that he could safely ground her in the underworld.

He walked out of the room and hear Cobra calling his name. He looked over to the person player and saw the trouble that was at the end of the hallway defending the stairwell.

Directly in front of the door stood Jose of Phantom Lord; his old Guild master; and beside him was a fully cloaked dark figure, that Gajeel recognized as a shadow being. If it wasn't for his own ability to claim the shadows he never would have been able to identify the figure.

"Erik," Gajeel grabbed the attention of the slayer with a whisper so low no one else in the building could have heard of it. "I need you to take on Jose; there is a second enemy you can't see, a shadow."

Cobra nodded his head just slightly in acknowledgment.

Gajeel turned his back to the two opponents and then took one pace breaching the gap between himself and Shayda's younger brother.

He carefully placed the sleeping girl at his feet and simply said. "You will defend her with your life because it depends on it. DO NOT take off either of your handcuffs or you WILL die." The young boy needed no other warning. He nodded his head, and Gajeel returned to his position to cover the back of his brother.

Lucy stood before them, her eyes completely unrecognizable. She had lost herself to the darkness buried within her, she was shrouded by a soul crushing desperate need for vindication. The darkness of her cursed soul merged with the infection she was spelled with monopolized who she was and buried the goodness within her.

Her body began to coil in preparation for an attack against her partner and best friend.

With the air shattering screech her body took on the darkness. IT traveled over the top of her and slowly wove itself into her. Her hair started turning waving and black, and her nails grew into small charcoal colored blades. Natsu could see an orange glow across her shoulder blades where their soul mark had been placed, and before his eyes, the glow began to grow and then slowly be taken over by a deep obsidian. Even her chocolate colored eyes, the ones that always held her happiness, were converted into a soulless jet onyx.

With the inhale of her breath, the soul mark on her back began to take life and force itself out of her back. The massive pair of pitch black wings unwrapped in mid-air, and Lucy was surrounded by a magnificent six-foot wing span of the devil's wings. They glowed in their sickening color and shimmered with an immeasurable aura od doom.

Natsu couldn't force himself to move. The women he was falling for had changed before his eyes to something that only resembled the most beautiful of demons. She took flight above them and screeched again. He was lost to shock until his skin began to crawl.

Before his eyes, Lucy was accumulating a deep black shimmering dust around her. It held within it hints of blues and purple.

She pushed her hands out before her, and held her palms open, and with a near whisper her voice rang our "Death's Stellae Vincere Exitium". As she spoke a single tear ran down her check.

With that single tear, Natsu's faith was completely restored. "Fire DRAGON Wing ATTACK" He called out in response to her attack. He sent the firey wave to fight off her attack while he dodged in mid-air.

He knew that he had no choice but to fight her so as to help her win the battle within herself. He knew just from one simple tear that she was in there, She was buried in darkness, but she was there, and that meant that there was hope. Somehow he could bring her out of the darkness and help her find herself.

"Sting, Rogue," He called out to them while in mid air. "Go find the necromancer" They nodded in acknowledgment of the order he had issued and headed for the door to their left.

As the two slayers headed for the door Lucy looked towards them. Another tear ran down her check. She crossed her arms over her chest while in flight and chanted the words to send a deathly attack towards the slayers who had their backs to her.

It was an action that would insult any mage. When a battle had been announced as one on one; it was against every code of ethics to attack another opponent; especially when they had their back to you. It was the lowest of moves, and yet she still performed it.

She whispered "Death's Astral eternity" and with her words, large black stars began exploding in a wave towards the twin slayers.

Natsu jumped in front of the attack and fired off his wing attack to block the blow from injuring his dragon slayers.

As Natsu fired off his attack both Sting and Rogue also countered the attack. The result was three separate attacks heading directly for her, she had no chance to escape it. The attacks from both Sting and Rogue hit full on. However, the one from Natsu was completely absorbed by the attack she had intended for the twin slayers.

For some reason, both of their attacks seemed to have no effect on the girl. It surprised Natsu to see her so unscathed; however, he was relieved they hadn't accidently killed her.

The two looked astonished that Lucy would have attacked them while their backs were turned; however, they had orders to follow and quickly took off up the spiral stairwell.

With the two gone Natsu yelled out for her. "Focus on me Luce!" He ordered. "There's no one else here but me, I'm here with you, and I know you can do this."

With his words, her attention snapped fully to him again. She spun in the air and whirled her wings about her. She surrounded herself with a personal tornado and called out into the air

" Mortem's Elysain Embrace". She stopped spinning and the black glimmering tornado whirled directly to him. He jumped around the room trying to dodge it, but eventually it hit his foot throwing him off balance. He was lucky that he could use his fire as a shield to protect him from the attack, otherwise, it would have completely shattered his leg.

Natsu knew that in order to stop her from hurting herself and others he was going to have to start attacking her. He needed to free her from the spell she was under, and that meant fighting her.

He took a large breath and prepared to fight off her next attack with all he could muster against her. As he waited for her to attack he became very afraid. She grew very quiet, and a large constellation began to grow above her head. The longer she remained silent the more stars were added to the formation. He could see a shadowed current beginning to merge with the stars. At first, he thought that he could take on the impact, but then he saw the tears spilling down her cheeks. It made his heart ache because he could finally comprehend what was going on.

Something inside Lucy was fighting this, and it was losing. He realized from the first attack that she had sent to him: "Death's Stellae Vincere Exitium", that she had somehow managed to connect herself to death's world. He realized that the power she had gained was equal to her Celestial Queen power. He knew that she had 12 SSS class level attacks in her reservoir (although Loke wasn't supposed to have told him that). With this new information, he finally understood that half of those attacks were the counterparts to their celestial versions.

He finally understood that by being made the Celestial Queen, also made her Queen of the underworld.

Loke had explained to him, that although she was granted the title of Celestial Queen she had not yet accepted her role as Queen. She apparently had many responsibilities to take charge of, and thus far she didn't want to accept them. The position as Celestial Queen would last through many lifetimes, and was a responsibility that had many pros and cons. Loke had told Natsu that being named Celestial Queen was just the first step, she had been granted 12 SSS class spells, and a few other abilities; but those were in fact only a small part of the powers she would be granted if she accepted her position.

So far she was able to connect herself with both life and death, feel the power from both worlds rushing through her and merging into one. That was what creation magic was. As a dragon, he understood the truth of celestial magic the original magic. It was the truest form of creation magic. Celestial magic was the perfect balance of life and death, and Lucy was named Queen of it.

Natsu was in awe of her, she was so completely mesmerizing. He had no idea how long she had felt the pull of death's door in her heart. It was likely their since her mother's death. She would be confronted with the underworld every day and know that if she chose to she could travel to it and reunite with the dead; but doing so would have forfeited her own life.

As the celestial Queen, she would become the bridge between all three worlds. As he stood in awe of her, he watched as she built up her ultimate attack, intent on launching it at him.

She was crying because, underneath the toxin that had control over her, she knew she was winding up to murder her mate. He could see the despair in her expression, the otter loss she already felt. She called out to him with silent words, begging to be rescued.

With his newfound apprehension, he realized that his only choice was to attack her before she could attack him. He used his lightning bolt form to teleport a short distance and place himself behind her. Then as carefully as he could, he sent a sizzling lighting bolt directly into her spinal cord.

When the effect didn't instantly take hold he cranked up the amount of electricity he put into it. Still, it had no effect. He continued to crank up the power until it reached his ultimate attack, even then it still it had no effect on his partner.

He heard laughter in the stairwell! He looked over to see what was happening. Laying at the bottom of the floor was a pile of dragon slayer, both the light and dark.

Sting and Rogue seemed to have no intake of breath, no movement to indicate that they were still alive. With the kick of her feet, the two flopped forward towards him, and he noticed their eyes; each pair was glazed over with deaths familiarity.

The demonic sorceress laughed into the room once more... "Haven't you figured it out yet slayer?" she taunted him. "Her mate bond as Omega makes her immune to all dragon attacks."

As she spoke she turned and headed back towards the spiral stairs. "Finish him Lucy" the delirious wizard ordered her infected underling.

Following the necromancer's command, Lucy turned on him. She looked towards him, and with the release of her attack, she closed her eyes. Something deep down inside of her knew that she couldn't watch what was about to happen.

"Deaths Collstellation" she called into the empty room. And with it, the shadows of stars above her began to filter down into the room. As the dust particles reached the floor it turned it to ash. Every weed wedged between the cement slabs had its life drawn from it.

As the attack rained down on top of him, about to hit him full force, and claim his life. Something amazing happened. He was shifted from the center of the room to the freshly opened doorway. He stood directly between Erza and Jellal, and in his place, taking the full force of the most powerful attack he had ever witnessed stood Minerva. The attack rippled through his rescuer and sucked in her life force. Her soulless body crashed down into the floor, never to move again.

Both Erza and Jellal called out in shock, the raced into the room and grabbed onto the body of their suddenly lost friend. "MINERVA!" they screamed! Tears filled their eyes and rage filled their hearts.

Two of the kindest people Lucy have every met were now filled with sorrow and vengeance. The wanted revenge against the women had possessed their Lucy and had claimed the life of their teammate, Minerva.

Natsu was shaken to his core. He had only witnessed death once before first hand, and that had been Lucy's. He couldn't stand to see her death again, but if she had become immune to dragon slayer attacks then there was very little he could do to save her. On top of that, he absolutely refused to let the bitch who had just murdered three of his friends survive. He had learned from his years of fighting, that if she fled back up to her suite, there was a very real possibility that she was going to run away; intent on saving her hide, so that she could mount another attack against them in the future. He couldn't allow that to happen; so he called out to his teammates a plan forming in his mind.

He knew that Jellal and Erza would want to take on the Necromancer themselves; but for his plan to work, he needed to change their minds. There was one simple factor that he knew might be able to save his mate. He would exploit every possibility to bring her back to him.

He was absolutely positive that she loved her spirits, and maybe, just maybe they would be to rescue her from the spell the Necromancer had used to take over their Queen.

Natsu knew that if she was weakened enough by incoming attacks, they might be able to reach out to her and help her fight off the infection. He remembered how she had processed the situation when he had taken off the magic canceling handcuffs. He understood that the weaker she grew, the less the infection affected her.

He called out to his teammates; knowing that had no choice but to leave the safety of the women he had fallen for to his friends and her spirits. Perhaps they would be able to get through to her.


	16. Chapter 16

Gajeel and Erik had their work cut out for them. Jose was a master of his own making. The Master of Raven Tail had teamed up with some type of shifting super being. Gajeel had never fought anyone so perfectly defended from oncoming attacks.

Every attacked he launched the reaper would shift away from, making his defenses nearly insurmountable. This battle had forced him to use his brain so that he would stand a fighting chance. He thought back onto how he and Levy had taken on Gildarts. He had attacked with a predictable frontal assault, and she had set a trap while their enemy was distracted.

He wondered to himself how he could go about trapping a spirit of death in the underworld. He knew that this time that magic canceling handcuffs were out of the equation.; they had none left, and they likely wouldn't work on the dead anyways.

He shifted into his Iron Shadow Dragon form and chased the reaper around the room. He tried to pin his opponent in a corner so that he could resume a front assault. The battle between the two shadow masters was well matched and seemed to last for hours.

Erik didn't seem to be having any luck. Jose was one of the fiercest opponents he had ever fought, and to make matters worse it seemed that his attacks went unnoticed by the dead man. Sure if the attack hit home a piece of skin would be scorched or Jose might even loose a chunk of himself, but it didn't seem to bother the previous Raven Tail guild leader.

Erik had no idea where to draw the line.. Was he going to have to disassemble Jose so that he wouldn't be able to attack any longer? Was there another way?

He understood to some degree that the man was already dead, and if he killed him again it wouldn't necessarily be a form of murder, but even with that knowledge, he couldn't seem to bring himself to it. The idea of disassembling a man who was once a leader to his team mate baffled him.

He was running out of attacks that wouldn't rip his opponent apart, so he decided to switch to the defensive. The two continued to duel; and although Cobra was a master at dodging, their fight seemed to be a standstill. Neither capable of defeating the other.

With their plans made Natsu took on his lightning form and leaped towards the left-hand door so that he could chase after the necromancer. As he passed through the door, and over the bodies of his lost comrades. he gave one last longing look at the women he wished he could have rescued. He would do anything for her, and yet seemed to be useless and unable to help her now.

He wanted to run the situation over and over in his mind till he magically came up with a solution to save her himself; but no matter how badly he tried, he couldn't solve that puzzle. He couldn't be her hero.

The only chance he had found was to rely on his friends. They would need to pull her out of the void that she had fallen into. He forced himself to shut those thoughts down. He could have kept berating his mind with disappointment and failure. He could have focused on his inability, but he chose not to. He needed to go after the necromancer and avenge his fallen friends. He had to force himself to focus so that the evil murderess would not escape his justice.

He rocketed up the spiral stairs and reached a landing on top. It was barricaded by layers of the undead. It seemed that entire room had been filled with the corpses of those who once lived, and now were controlled by the necromancer. At the end of the long dead filled corridor sat the Necromancer on top of her bed. She simply stared at him with defiance as if asking him to impress her.

He lit himself on fire and began to make his way down the hall. He didn't want to be the man responsible for re-killing all of these undead, so instead he chose to paralyze them with his lightning attack. It had the drawback of being temporary; however, he planned on killing the necromancer before it could wear off. Hopefully, her death would release these poor souls from their current fate. It might even help to release Lucy from the infection that had been put on her.

As he walked forward a massive electrical storm began to swirl above his head, it grew rapidly, and soon took over the length of the entire room. He looked to the heaven and shouted the release phrase. "Electric Havoc!" With his words, hundreds of lightning bolts simultaneously escaped from the cloud that had trapped them. The bolts forced themselves into the hoard of bodies surrounding him.

Everyone in the room collapsed to the floor. Each body taking on a unique position as they fell, no longer in control of their extremities.

He looked forward, seeing exactly how much damage his attack had done to the villain he hoped to rip apart limb from limb. She smiled at him, still seated on her bed.

"That tickled" she taunted.

Natsu nodded in understanding, he knew that this fight was going to require all of his strength. If such a destructive spell had no effect on her, then he had no need to hold back.

He had ever intention of lining up a second attack, that would be significantly more powerful and be directed only at her. However, before he was able to, She jumped from her bed and looked at him with one sideways glance. She dived headfirst out of the window.

He raced to the window to see her fall to her death. She plummeted downward, then she grabbed a shining silver key from inside her cloak, and summoned forth a griffin.

He jumped down below her. His knees took the brunt of the three-story landing, but it didn't occur to him that the jump should have been difficult. Slowly above him, she glided towards the earth. The two landed and her griffin began to gallop across the plains.

Natsu grinned with anticipation for the fight that was about to happen. He had always wanted to really see what fighting a celestial wizard was like, but having not wanting to hurt his friends, it wasn't a fight he had ever given his all in.

He chased after the girl, allowing his full dragon slayer speed to quickly outmatch the griffin. The beaked monster lunged at him, and Natsu dodged while firing off a flaming kick. With his one attack, the griffin poofed back into nothingness and left the startled girl alone on her two feet.

Natsu didn't waste a minute. He wound up and lurched his whole body into a direct flaming punch launching it into the murder's face. She didn't even seem to flinch. Instead, a malicious smile spread across her face. He could see the evil filling her, and the anger about to escape.

"You foolish dragon" she reprimanded him. "You have no idea who you are up against!" Natsu waited to hear what she had to say. He respected the etiquette of a fight, and it was only polite to give the other a chance to explain themselves in case there was a way to peacefully resolve the argument. Although he knew that wouldn't be the case since she had murdered his family members.

"I am Queen of this world, I don't need my keys to summon my spirits here; they come to me like flies to honey!" The anger inside of her welled up. She knew that she was at a disadvantage in this fight as most of her magic wouldn't work against a dragon slayer. However, she still had one last trump card to play.

She raised her hands into the air, creating an open embrace of the rising suns deep red light. As it moved forward she called to it... she summoned the attention of every living thing this world had to offer her. "REAPER ARMY" She summoned. As she spoke hundreds of shadowed spirits were summoned to her side. They took on different sizes and shapes, some held sickles, and others took on animal forms. He saw many pure black dogs, and ravens circling overhead.

She laughed savagely, knowing that no one on this plane was capable of beating an entire army of the undead. In fact, most people weren't even able to land a hit against the shadow dwellers.

She surrounded herself by the living shadows. She had a raven on her shoulder, and hound at her feet. She looked regal in her command over the reapers. Confident in the knowledge that she had won this battle, smiled, knowing that not so much as a scratch was landed against her.

Her madness was seeping into her laughter, and she took a step back ready to enjoy the vision of her Alpha slayer's death; knowing that soon she would bring him back to life as her ultimate slave.

Natsu grinned at her with his confidence. He looked at her surrounded by the sunlight of midday. He quickly wondered why time was moving so quickly, but assumed it was because of the alternate world they were in.

As he stared at her, the vengeance deep within him took hold. His anger and position as Alpha were beginning to control his very essence. He couldn't hold back his fury, and no longer wanted to submerge his control as commander of the Dragons. He would avenge the loss of his slayers, and one fo their mates.

His shoulder squared, and he was filled with royal magnificence. His voice took on a deep tone, and he directed it towards the thousands of grim reapers that were closing in to attack him.

With a roar to the sky and regal command he spoke:

"I am King Natsu Dragneel, Lord of all Slayers, and King of all Fire Dragons. My Queen is yours and YOU will BOW to ME!"

Shayda looked at him with mock amusement. "I am not 'your' anything Dragon Lord'' She mocked him. As she spoke the reapers nodded in response to her command. They began to release their swords from their scabbards and take their arrows from their quivers. He could feel the impending attack but he stood his ground.

Again he let his resplendent voice take hold and commanded the subjects of the dark world.

"I am mated to Lucy Heartfilla; RIGHTFUL Queen of the living and dead, the Celestial and the Underworld, YOU WILL BOW TO ME!" He commanded once more.

This time when he spoke the reapers understood his orders. They all acknowledge Lucy as their true queen, and if she had returned to save them, then they would do whatever they could to restore balance to their lands. Each and every member of the reaper army lowered their weapons and bowed to their king.

Shayda balked at their response. SHE Screamed at them with all of her insanity slipping into her voice. "I AM YOUR QUEEN" she rumbled "KILL HIM!" She ordered them.

When she spoke not a single soul looked at her, they remained bowed to Natsu and awaited orders from their king.

"You are dismissed" He blankly informed them, and with his command ever spirit turned and abandoned their false queen.

Shayda stuttered in shock. These Reapers held contracts with her, they were bound by law to follow her command; and yet, somehow they were able to ignore her and abandon her to this vicious monster staring down at her.

"That was very foolish of you," Natsu began "You didn't think I would let you get away with killing my friends did you?" He began to taunt her, and as he did he took a step forward.

"You didn't believe that you were really the Queen here. Surely you know that to be Queen of this world you have to be appointed by the Celestial King; of course, here they call him the King of Babylon."

Shayda realized just how dangerous the situation was. She began to turn and run away from the monster in the form of a dragon. Unaware of just how much the righteous wrath had taken over him, he prepared to unleash his power at the murderer before him.

Natsu closed his eyes and shifted into his Dragon Force. His entire being began to rapidly grow deep red scales. After his skin was completely taken over by the crimson scales he began to grow an impressive pair of wrapping horns just above his temples. He had never known himself to have such a large pair of horns. They twisted in a small semi-circle and encompassed his head.

The rage inside of him coiled and he fully achieved dragon force. Next, he began to release his lightning dragon drive. As it released shocks of bolted lightning passed around him and wrapped his hands.

The lightning licked at him, and merged with his fire, as it weaved its way in between his scales. The lightning began to circle him. Finally, he took on his third ability; releasing his silver magic. With it, small silver daggers began to fly in the air around him, hundreds of the tiny silver daggers prepared to launch themselves into an attack, while also acting as a magical barrier against any incoming attack.

His slanted eyes fixed on the necromancer, he was so filled with rage that he began to see everything in white; just like he had when future Lucy had died. He wanted this evildoer dead. He needed to get his vengeance against her. He had to get justice for Minerva, Sting, and Rogue. It was more than that, though, he wanted to punish her for what she had done to Lucy. She had turned the world's most loving women into a killer, she had tainted Lucy's soul and turned her to depravity.

Setting his entire body into one gigantic meteor of flame, he stood in its center and allowed his lightning to merge with it. His three powers converged into one unstoppable attack . The heat he emitted scored the earth and began to cause cracks on the barren surface

The large spell began to spin around him like a hurricane, and its speed increased so much that he wasn't visible in its center any longer.

With his body fully in its ultimate attack form Natsu took in an immeasurable amount of air. He gulped it down until his lungs wouldn't fit anymore. Natsu pulled his hands behind him, the rushed his arms to his front. As he did so he bellowed " "DRAGON FORCE: TRIPLE DRAGON WRATH!"

The attack hit Shayda full force. The daggers plunged into her, and the flame melted away her clothing and some of what lay underneath it. The electricity stopped her heart, and in the end, that was a blessing.

Her last thought was of what could have been; of the fairy tale that she could have achieved. She thought of the life she had always wanted, and would never be able to achieve. She screamed as the flames consumed her. She screamed until her heart no longer had a beat. Eventually, her mind went black in deaths embrace; A more welcoming darkness then she thought possible. Death had a warmth and comfort to it, and she embraced it just as much as it embraced her.

Natsu Marched over to the charred corpse of the villainous murderer. He covered his nose to block out the smell of cooking flesh. He leaned down grabbing a tuft of hair from on top of her head, and with his fist full of her singed locks he pulled.

Her head dislodged from her body and as it did he spoke to her "this will keep you from coming back." He didn't know if he felt pity for her or just rage. He was a scramble of emotions and couldn't explain them even to himself.

He wanted to leave, to walk away, but he knew it wasn't right. He wrongfully assumed that with her death, the infection would stop, and the dead she raised would sleep once more. In a rush, he used his magic to dig a grave for the women he had killed in cold blood. He buried her with respect and made sure that no one would every use her corpse as she had used others. Then he went to seek out his mate.

*Meanwhile inside the castle*

The tears still ran down her cheeks, Natsu had left her again, and she needed him more than she could put into words. She was trapped by this spell. She had no choice but to watch from the sidelines as she murdered an ally. Minerva and she weren't close, be she held great respect for the girl who was changing her life. Minerva had reached out to them and became their friends, their guild had taken in members of Lucy's when they needed a place to work. They weren't her direct family, but they were her family. Lucy couldn't believe that she had been forced to murder one of them. She couldn't hold back the tears, but also couldn't stop herself from wielding her magic against even more friends.

As Natsu left Erza, and Jellal stepped forward. The two both apologized to her before they began attacking her from either side. She flew back and forth in the air, trying to dodge their attacks, but as she dodged one another would hit home.

She fought against them, wielding several of her own attacks.

First, she had delivered Mortem's Astrum to Erza, but the S-class master changed into a grim reapers dress that made the attack ineffective against her.

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to fight against Erza if she was immune to attacks created with the underworld Lucy was forced to attack Jellal. She didn't want to kill Erza's boyfriend in front of her, but she couldn't stop herself. She cried out in pain as she launched her next attack. It hurt her to the core to know that she was the one who was killing her friends. She was trapped and useless, having nothing she could do to save herself. She moved to Jellal and set loose her Obitios Conprohenso attack at him.

Thankfully Jellal was one of the wizard saints and was able to defend off the attack with his light magic. As they fought magic against magic, and friend against friend, Lucy's magical energy began to drain. Jellal would counter, and Erza would attack from Lucy's unsuspecting side, the two were a perfect duo.

The fight seemed to be timeless. However, with every attack, Lucy was gradually slowing down. She became unable to keep up with the pace that they set. She might have been able to defeat them; if she had her spirits beside her, but as it was she stood outmatched.

Her insides rejoiced at the news. Perhaps one of the two lovers would put her out of her misery and save her from herself. She deserved to die now that Minerva had been killed by her hands, hell, she didn't want to live the life of a murdered. She was happy with this fate.

Erza rained down a collection of swords onto the celestial mage, and although dozens of them were fought off, a few landed squarely around Lucy. The swords pinned her to the ground, holding her caged by her own clothing. Jellal used a heavenly magic to shock her body and paralyze her arms. Lucy was starting to feel like she couldn't handle any more of this torture when Yukino stepped forward.

"Yukino" Her mind called for to her friend.

"Don't give up" Yukino called out to her "you can fight this Lucy, I know the darkness has taken hold but FIGHT IT!" Yukino begged her. As she begged Erza and Jellal walked over to Yukino and placed their hands on the young girl's shoulders.

In perfect unison, all three yelled out "Unison Raid: Celestial Summoning!"

With their attack made both Jellal and Erza took a knee. The two S-class wizards had poured all of their energy into the small blue haired celestial wizards body. They allowed her to become the doorway between this world and the celestial world. They chose to become the batteries needed to keep the doorway open and allow spirits to pass through.

As the doorway opened in mid air, Lucy's celestial spirits walked out one by one. First was Loke, and then followed Aquarius. Behind them was Virgo who was joined by Taurus, then Saqqitarrious. Cancer and Scorpio walked nearly side by side, and behind them were the Gemini twins, solemnly behind the twins walked Capricorn. Finally, Aries took up the rear.

They all walked out with looks of desperation on their faces, they took turns speaking with their Queen, each of them trying to talk her out of the madness she was corrupted with.

"Lucy you can beat this," Loke incouraged.

"You're better than this," Aquarius said in a harsh but caring voice.

"You can moooove past this" Taurus kindly told her.

"You have inner strength, draw on that Lucy," Capricorn advised.

"We believe in you" the Gemini twins spoke in unison.

"Come back to punish me" Virgo begged.

Lucy's began to sob as they spoke. She had no way to hide from them. She was ashamed of all that she had become, and the darkness that was inside of her.

"It's ok Lucy" Aries shyly encouraged her.

"No one blames you Lucy" Cancer urged his depressed master.

"Yes indeedy," Sagittarius spoke "We all know you are not at fault" He reassured her.

Lucy began to feel her mind starting to take control of her body, she felt herself shaking from the overwhelming emotions coursing through her.

"It's working" Yukino whispered to Erza and Jellal. The two nodded their heads, silently pleased while focusing on holding the doorway open. "If they can get into her head just a little more, they should be able to dispell that curse," Yukino explained.

Scorpio was the last to speak, and as he spoke Natsu entered the room, with the setting sun behind him. "We are all here with you Lucy" Scorpio informed her. As he spoke they encircled Lucy and all joined hands. The group of three wizards keeping the door open sat behind them, and off to their right.

Natsu looked at her and forced himself to repress the curse taking hold of him. When he spoke he knew that he was saying his goodbyes, but he had no other choice to make.

"Lucy, you CAN do this! You CAN fix all of this! I Love you, Luce, I believe in you."

The group of Lucy's spirits whispered to her and encouraged her with every breath. They began to walk in a circle and chant the word "dispell" over and over again.

With Natsu's words reaching her ears she focused on his voice and allowed the words her spirits spoke to reach her soul. All the while she concentrated on him. The disenchanting spell her spirit were performing took hold over Lucy and she slowly started to emerge from the hollow she was buried in. She was wrapped in the golden dust that her spirits were glowing with. Her hair remained black, but the fog she felt slowly washed away with the tears she was uncontrollably shedding.

Her spirits stopped moving, and all rushed forward towards their Queen at once. She was finally freed of the infection that had taken over.

When their hugs were complete Yukino collapsed to the floor. She had used nearly all of her magical energy to hold the massive door open, and as she collapsed it closed. In an instant, all of her ten of her spirits disappeared back to the world, and Lucy noticed the world around her.

She saw Jellal, Yukino, and Erza laying on the floor, collapsed from lack of magical energy. They would need sleep, but would all be ok in the end. Then she turned towards Natsu and the door to her left. As she looked for him, she saw the unavoidable. In front of where he should have been crumpled on the floor between the empty doorway and herself, were the bodies of three lost comrades.

For the first time since her capture at the cathedral forest, Lucy was fully aware of exactly what had happened. She though she felt sadness while under the infection, she thought she felt the loss of her friend. But she was wrong. Those feelings didn't even compare to how she felt now. They couldn't begin to describe the absolute self-loathing and regret that totally consumed her. She walked over to Minerva's corpse and lifted the empty body into her arms. She spoke over and over again.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry".

Yukino walked over to try and console her, but she wouldn't let the younger girl approach her. She screamed at her to stay away and continued to cling to the body in her arms.

She wanted to die, to somehow make amends. She wished there had been a way to rescue her three friends, and as she cried the darkness inside of her twisted and coiled.

It was the same darkness that had merged with the infection, except this time it was fully her. From within her, the curse took hold of her sorrow. The depths of her soul ached with the loss she had created.

As her emotions took hold they merged with the ones that Natsu was feeling. He stood just outside, wanting to return to her. He wanted to approach her and console her, he wanted to tell her that he had killed the Necromancer for her. He wanted to explain that he had tried to be a hero for her. He had led their team to her and avenged the loss of their teammates. He wanted to be the hero in her life; but the more despair she felt, the more the wrath he felt built. Her emotions were linked with his own, and he knew that the curse was taking its final step.

He finally realized that something inside him wasn't right. He knew that he should have been able to approach her and hold her when she needed him. As the realization hit, so did disbelief.

It wasn't possible that that much time had passed since they entered the underworld. He should still have had a full day to talk to her, to tell her that he loved her, and hope that she loved him in return.

Tomorrow was supposed to be the final day of his curse.

He should have been able to hold her and confess his love. He should have been able to convince her to share her love with him, and if she didn't then he should have been able to run away, to find a safe place to keep his madness in check.

However, none of that was the case. He stood a few yards from the women he loved, and he realized there was a good chance that he would be taken over by madness and try to murder her very shortly. He looked over his shoulder saw the waning moon begin to rise.

As much as he wanted to approach her and grasp at one last chance to confess his love, he knew he couldn't. She was carrying the body of the women she had accidentally killed, and it would be beyond selfish of him to try to force his affection on her now. She was consumed with her own emotions, and the closer he got to her, the more those emotions would devour him. So with a final look at her, he let a tear roll down to the cold hard ground and whispered a single word.

"Goodbye"

With that said, He turned on his heels, still, in his dragon force mode, horns, fangs, and all, he turned away and ran. He ran as fast as he could to the opposite end of the world.

He hoped Lucy would pull through this. He hoped that they would take her home and that she would resume the wonderful life she once lived. He hoped that Fairy Tail would be ok and that the infected would be cured. As he hoped he ran, he ran to find a place to hide and wait for the final minutes before he lost who he was.

Lucy watched as he ran away. He had abandoned her once again even though he had promised not to. She watched as her world shattered before her. She was a killer now and unloved unsavable killer. She wanted to fix everything but had nothing left to fight for. At first, she despaired. But then she rebelled. She knew that she had to do something about all of this. She didn't care what others said. If the necromancer could bring others back from the dead, then so could she; and she would do it better. She lifted Minerva into her arms, and then released her wings so that she could fly to the rooftop. She headed for the stairwell, and along her way she scooped up both Sting and Rogue.

She flew up the spiral staircase and headed out the door onto the balcony on the rooftop.

She screamed into the night. Her anguish filled her voice and her insanity bubbled over the edges of her mind.

"I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" She screamed out to the night sky.

She knew that she didn't need her keys to summon him in this realm. She knew that he was here and that if she called he would come to her.

"I SUMMON THEE IN THE WORLD OF THE UNDEAD I BEACON THE TO MY SIDE; COME TO ME KING OF BABYLON."

With her summons complete the fifteen story high Celestial Spirt King appeared in the space in front of the tower.

"Lucy, my dear," He addressed her.

"Help me fix this" She begged him

"Lucy, I don't bring people back from the dead" He explained in his overpowering voice.

"You don't, but you can; you can bring them back!" She shouted back at him.

"Lucy dear," I can't just bring back ever person you have lost." He sympathized with her.

"I'm NOT asking for ALL of THEM!" Lucy cried "JUST THREE!" her voice broke.

"Help me bring them back," she begged "just three of them; give me them back. I can't take any more of this death. PLEASE just give them back to me."

"Lucy" he patronized her, leaving his sentence unfinished.

"Will you if I help you? 'IF' I accept the position as Celestial Queen? Give me them back and I promise to become the Queen. I'll harbor the living and the dead, I'll be the bridge between worlds. Just give me them back" Her voice quivered with need as she spoke.

"As you wish." The King agreed. He looked at her with pity, knowing that she was giving away a part of her soul, for all of eternity. She was trading a fraction of her soul the lives of her lost friends.

He lowered his hands to her, and she carefully placed all three bodies within them. He then closed his fist creating a small nest around the deceased, and Lucy flew in the air.

As she flew in front of the Celestial King he took in a deep breath and breathed it out onto her.

The air he blew turned into dust and wrapped itself around her. It took on two different colors, one of black and one of gold. They swirled around her in two perfect spirals, one completing the other. He spoke to her, and cast a simple spell "Celestial Queen". As he breathed into her, she was filled with magical energy. Her stores were completely renewed and then they were forced to fit in even more. The Celestial King was filling her with magical energy, more so than a normal human being could have harbored. She was stronger than she could have ever imagined.

That single spell committed her soul to the constellations for all of eternity. Even after her death, she would remain in charge of helping the world's find balance. As the dust spiraled around her it grew larger and larger, as it grew so did she. She began to take on the same height as the Celestial King. She towered over her friends, and could see for miles. In the distance, she could see Natsu running away.

Still colored in black, she walked over to the Celestial King and placed her hands on top of his. The combination of hands created a sphere around the bodies of her lost comrades.

She then whispered, but her voice carried for miles. She started and the Celestial King began to join in. She spoke a spell she had never learned but suddenly knew.

"In the world of Death, I can grant you life

In the world of Life, I can grant you death

I right the wrongs between worlds."

As they spoke stars began to form over their heads. Before the star cloud, she had formed was purely black this time it held over fifty different shades.

There was Golden stars, pink ones, purple ones, and black ones, there were silver stars and green ones. The stars began to spin in the air above the King and Queen's heads until they formed a line. The line of stars took off and began to wrap itself around the two towering figures hands. The stars spun and spun until their hands glowed. Then the stars merged with their hands and were absorbed into them.

The took spoke in unison and completed the spell with its name "Commanding Life: Celestial Blessing"

Soon after their words were spoken the magic in the air settled.

The Celestial King looked to Lucy and the two lowered her friends to the ground; each one of them completely restored to normal.

He looked to Lucy and spoke once more.

"Thank you, Lucy, The worlds needed you. It's time you get to work." As he spoke he began to fade away and return to his throne.

Lucy smiled, and if she wasn't the size of a sky scrapper she would have jumped with elation. Her friends were saved, and all she had to do to keep them alive was to become a medium between worlds. It might be inconvenient but it was a price well worth paying.

From now on she would have the dead approach her, and need to travel through her to find peace in the afterlife, but that meant she was helping people along their journey, and that was something she could live with. She would have the help of her spirits and reapers in judging what realm the soul was to be placed in, but she would grant them all peace in the afterlife.

She looked around her and was fully able to see all the problems with this world. She could see many reapers in the distance watching to see what she would do. She could see the bodies in the tower of lives that had been unfairly raised from the dead.

As the ruler of the underworld, it would be her job from now on to punish anyone who tried to raise the dead; a task that was long since forgotten. It remains a loose end since the last Celestial Queen had died.

From now on her life would be longer, and she would be able to take on her immortal form when she was needed to help balance the scales of the worlds. She would be able to do so much good with her new found powers. She could bring peace to the loving, and punishment to the evil. She looked around her and decided that she needed to get started.

With the wave of her hand, the reapers began to surround her. She smiled at them brightly.

"I think it's time we fix this world don't you?" As she spoke they nodded their heads.

The reapers understood what she asked of them, and they went into the manor. Each reaper returned with a body in their arms. The laid them all in a row, and slowly every person, who had been wrongfully brought back to life was pulled out of the tower and placed on the bare ground bellow Lucy's feel. Once all of the dead had been claimed. Lucy nodded in approval.

The last hound returned and laid Jose at her feet.

Lucy looked at him with a bit of puzzlement, and as she did Gajeel, Erik, Levy, and Jaydince walked out of the castle. They walked with four reapers behind them. The center reaper seemed to have been captured by the other three. Her teammates joined Erza, Jellal, Sting, Rogue, Minerva, and Yukino.

The reaper in the form of a hound spoke to Lucy. "This is Grim, he is the reaper who aided Shayda the necromancer in destroying our world."

Lucy thanked the informant and chained Grim to the castle's wall. She planned on keeping him locked up for quite some time.

Once all of the deceased had been placed before her she began to summon her new found Celestial Queen power. She drew on the power of both life and death, she wrapped it around each body like a growing blanket, and as she did so the earth moved to cover the bodies where she had covered them.

"Celestial Peace" She ordered her power. As she spoke all of the bodies returned to their lifeless selves. They laid down to rest, and the dirt she ordered carpeted over them, creating a blanket of grass for each one of them.

Each grave sprouted a deep emerald grass, and a small tree grew above it to mark its spot. However, Lucy's powers didn't stop there. After the cemetery had grown luscious and peaceful her magic began to curl over the world around them. It overtook the darkened castle and turned it to a rubble hill. Her magic spread across the world and as it did it restored rivers and grew forests. Till finally the world was a beautiful peaceful land for the deceased to find peace.

As her spell was completed she began to shrink down in size. Her restoration magic drained nearly all of her new magic reserve, and she returned back to her normal self.

She had done her job, restored her friends, and now she returned to her normal size so that she could return with them all home.

"LUCY" Her teammates ran across the heavenly grass valley to reach her,

"THAT WAS AMAZING" Erza congratulated her.

Jellal looked at her in bewilderment "Lucy I don't even understand all of what you did, but I will be forever thankful for it."

Sting and Rogue rushed her and hugged her off of her feet.

The whole team couldn't help but take pride in her success. She had restored the balance in the world, and taken on the job as a Celestial Guardian.

Erik and Gajeel approached her.

"Lucy, you need to go after Natsu" The both spoke in unison. Neither of them seemed to care nearly enough about her success and were much more focused on what was going on with Natsu.

"What are you talking about guys, he is the one who ran off" She stuttered. A blush of both humiliation and anger flushed her cheeks.

She wanted to bask in her success not be reminded of the man who ran away in fear of her.

She wanted him to be her hero, but he had run off and left her to be saved by everyone else. Before she could complain to the two dragon slayer about what a horrible thing he had done by abandoning her, they cut her off.

"Lucy, you don't understand," Gajeel spoke while taking charge.

"No, I don't understand" Lucy cried out at him "He left me again, and I'm not going to chase after him like some hopeless little girl!"

"I think I should explain," Erik interrupted her pity session.

It took him no small amount of time to explain absolutely everything to her. How Natsu had taken on the Necromancer in hopes of releasing the spell she was under. How he had brought them all here, and how he would stop at nothing to save her. How he came here knowing he would likely die saving her.

"I don't get it" Lucy questioned," If he was ready to die for me then why did he run away when I needed him?"

Gajeel pointed to the night sky as if that was supposed to explain everything. When the confusion remained on her face he elaborated.

"That is the waning moon, and with it, the curse has taken hold. Every minute closer to the rising sun is another step further Natsu will take into madness." He huffed "The final step of the curse is for him to murder his mate if she hasn't -with all honesty- confessed her love for him." Gajeel gestured with impatience. Clearly, none of this had been explained to her.

"At sun up the effects are irreversible" Erik continued the explanation. "He didn't run away to avoid you, Lucy, he ran away to save you from himself," Yukino added in, her eyes welling with tears.

Lucy stood shocked at the information she had just received. She had less than an hour to track him down and confess that she loved him or he would turn into an animalistic version of a dragon slayer. Intent on killing her, and himself along the way.

She couldn't picture a worse death, where he was forced into abandoning everyone he cared about in fear of killing them; and then to top if off, having to hunt down and murder the person he did care for.

Lucy decided released her wings, and lifted herself into the air. She needed to go look for him, and she had no time to loose. AS she was about to take off Yukino yelled up to her.

"Take these!" She called out and tossed a shiny collection of keys into the air.

Lucy dived down, and swooped the keys up, before rocketing towards the rising moon.


	17. Chapter 17

Gajeel had promised Lucy that he would be able to lead them back through the words portal. Especially since Jellal would be there to help. She flew through the air and examined her keys, attached to the chain was a small vial filled with blue colored pills. She realized that they were to keep people stabilized in the underworld; and although she no longer needed them, they would be a helpful tool if she would be bringing living people back and forth. She could also use one for Natsu in case it took them longer to safely get back to the portal.  
She soared through the sky as her black hair trailed behind her. She headed in the direction what she had seen him take off in.  
She didn't know exactly where he was. But she knew how to find him. She flew to where she had seen him last and landed on the ground.  
She pulled out her golden key and called forth Sagittarius.  
"So happy to see you my lady" He greeted her.  
"I'm happy to see you too!" she smiled at him. "Can you help me find Natsu, it's urgent"  
"Yes indeedy," he replied and took off full speed down a track that only he could seem to see. She followed behind him and the two traveled as quickly as possible, knowing that they were running out of time. She flew behind him, as he galloped full speed in Natsu's direction.  
She watched the moon and realized that she was nearly too late. The sky was beginning to glow, and the moon became harder to see in the distance.  
Sagittarius called out to her whilst she was in mid air. "The cave over there, milady" He spoke while pointing her in the right direction. Lucy thanked him while she flew away and he faded back into his rightful world.  
As she approached the cave, hints of the suns rise began to spread across the sky. She glided down onto the rocky entrance and landed elegantly on the cold floor.

She was greeted by the glowing eyes of a beast, who was rabid and dangerous. Grabbing her by her wrist he flung her into the wall. He pinned her there and was practically foaming with insanity.  
He growled at her and lunged towards her neck; going for the kill.  
She wanted to scream as his teeth reached her neck. She wanted to fight him off but instead, she held her mouth closed and used what was to be her final breath to whisper for his ears alone.  
"I love you Natsu".  
As she spoke the blackness drained out of her. Her hair returned to its lovely yellow shade, and her eyes took on their cheerful brown. Her thoughts drifted to all the happiness they could have had; to the children, they cold have raised; and the love they could have shared; if only she had admitted her feelings sooner.  
He was just about to dig his teeth in deeper hoping to reach her jugular, and rip it through her skin; her words hit his ears. The insanity inside of him instantly dissipated. In a fraction of a second, he went from murderous monster to jubilant Natsu. He retracted his teeth from her skin, and lightly kissed the center of her neck,  
"I love you too Luce." He spoke, and she flinched in shock.  
"Natsu?" She questioned him and searched his face. He looked at her and gave her his signature smile. "Hey Luce" he greeted her; before covering her with his kisses.  
Their night in the cave had definitely been animalistic, but it had been the good type of stunning and unbelievable as well. They had made love in several different ways; passionate, and aggressive, slow and delicate. The two had finally proved their love for one another, both physically, spiritually, and verbally, they were finally ready to start their lives together.  
__  
Gajeel had carried her in his arms for the last hour as they headed towards the portal home, and Levy had remained unconscious the entire time. He didn't mind the added weight, he just appreciated having her back in his arms.  
The walk back to the portal had been much more majestic. This time, there was a freshly made path through the shrubbery and lush green grass. The reapers wandered about their homeland enjoying the first day of beauty they had seen since Shayda had desecrated their home.  
The group had walked for an hour and was starting to enjoy the journey when stomachs began to rumble. It had been a full day in their time since everyone had had their last meal.  
Gajeel planned on ignoring the hunger, and going straight home, but the playful Sting and annoyed Cobra seemed to have other ideas.  
"Let's stop to eat!" Sting encouraged the group.  
"You know," Erza easily caved "that waterfall over there is rather beautiful. Why don't we have a picnic?" She asked while looking at Jellal for approval. In turn, Jellal looked to Gajeel who sighed.  
He was outnumbered by his friends who all seemed eager to eat. "Alright" he decided "but let's make it quick"  
The group detoured off of the trail and walked over the meadow to the nearby waterfall. Most of them sat around discussing the developments they had seen Lucy go through, but from the fringe of the group, Gajeel notice Rogue whisper into Minerva's ear and the two walked off towards the cozy looking cliff that the waterfall joined up with.  
Before he knew what was happening all of his team members had taken off in different directions to explore the area. Everyone but Cobra and Jaydince seemed to have paired up and walked away.  
"I'm not into the bromance" Cobra chuckled to himself "I'm gonna go check out that waterfall" he spoke while getting up and walking away. Jaydince jumped at the opportunity and chased after the man. He seemed eager to stretch his legs and talk to another human being who hadn't locked him in a dungeon.  
A few minutes after everyone had left he decided it was time to call them back and head home. Just as he was about to whistle. He noticed something strange. Levy had rolled away from him in her place on the soft grass beside him.  
He reached over to her and rolled her back towards him. As he did he was greeted by a loud, startled scream. Levy had awoken, and upon seeing him scrambled to her feet and ran several paces away.  
Now that she was finally awake he wanted nothing more than to kiss her lips. He wasn't sure what game she was playing, but he liked the idea of having to catch her.  
He bounded into the air, and chased after her, as he raced toward her she planted her feet, and when he got close enough to reach out to her, she wound up and punch him full force.  
He tumbled to the ground and grabbed at his freshly assaulted check.  
"What the fuck was that!?" Gajeel roared at her.  
"Gajeel?" She questioned him.  
"Of course it's ME who the fuck did you think it was?" He questioned her with impatience rolling off his tongue.  
"OH GAJEEL! I'm so sorry!..." she stumbled for words. "it's, it's just, after the waning moon,..." she stammered, "I thought you were going to try to kill me"  
Gajeel went from annoyed to fits of hysterical laughter in a brief moment.  
"What?" levy questioned him. He tried to respond right away but took a moment to gulp down air. "I think I better explain something to you" he spoke in a soft voice, all the while trying to force his laughter down.  
"You see, dragon slayer 'can' go mad from the curse. However, that's never going to happen to us." He began to rationalize.  
"You are what we call a dragon-claimed Levy, not a dragon's mate. A dragon claimed it someone who will be a dragons mate, but since they haven't made love they aren't officially mated." As he spoke they both blushed deep shades of crimson  
Bashfully Levy questioned him. "I thought we couldn't do that for awhile because of some dragon thing?" She searched for information.  
"That's right," he smiled at her. "Dragons need a full year of..." he froze searching for words... "let's call it dating," he stumbled "after a full year of dating, a dragon slayer can move on to the second stage." Again he blushed. "That's where you'll go from dragon-claimed to a dragon's mate." He nervously explained, "Stage three is the one where a dragon and his mate are in trouble, but I don't think it will affect us very much."  
Levy looked at him with puzzlement. "See after the couple has mated they move on to stage three; the final stage. This is where they have until the end of the nearest waning moon to profess their love; if they don't both fully love each other, then the union is a disgrace to the god's and the dragon will turn bloodthirsty." His voice took on an air of authority.  
Levy took a moment to process the information she had been given. Before a question fully formed in her mind. "And why won't that be a problem for us?" she asked him coyly.  
He slowly walked over to her and leaned down so they were the same height. He took her hand in his and leaned close enough so that his breath brushed across her skin. "Because I already know we love each other" he spoke before claiming her lips with his own.  
A part of her wanted to resist him, to make him chase after her, but as he persuaded her with his lips, she knew that she couldn't resist him, or lie to him about her affections. She had loved him for months now, and all she wanted in the world was to know that they belonged together.  
"Say that again" she begged him when they both came up for air.  
"I'm in love with you Levy." he spoke with a gruff voice and a crimson blush.  
She leaped into his arms and wrapped her fingers into his hair.  
They kissed for far longer than they should have when they returned to the group each of them had hair that was far more disheveled than it should have been. Erza gave Levy a wicked grin and obvious wink and Levy practically turned pink in response.  
Gajeel let out an ultra high pitched whistle alerting the two twin dragon slayers that it was time to wrap things up and head back. The group was shocked to see Rogue and Minerva walking back from the nearby cliff hand in hand. Rogue was obviously startled by the obvious display of affection, but Minerva defiantly dragged him along.  
The last to reach their group was Yukino and Sting, who were shamelessly flirting with one another. Before they reached the group Sting lifted Yukino into the air and placed the small girl on his shoulders, intending to carry her the rest of the distance home.  
"You've got to be kidding me," Cobra groaned in disbelief and began to walk back onto the path. The group laughed in response to his outburst and happily collected the items from the picnic. Jaydince lead the way back to Erik, and the rest of the members of their party walked hand in hand until they reached the anima.  
The walk took them another hour or two, but when the reached it everyone was eager to return home. This time, the travel back through the portal seemed a lot easier to Yukino; she felt traveling back to the light was far more familiar than traveling to the dark.  
They had another half hour to walk to their base camp, and while most of them wouldn't have minded the journey, it was getting late, and the sun was setting.  
The dragon slayers decided that the best course of action was to see who could run to the base camp first whilst carrying their partner. Ezra; being no slouch on the competitive side swooped Jellal into her arms to carry him and compete. Cobra looked at his fellow idiots and realized the only one left to partner with was Jaydince so with a groan of frustration he hoisted the young man onto his shoulders and the race was off.  
The rest of the journey home had been a fast one. Gajeel had come in first place, and the twins tied for second. Erza refused to come in last place and raced in front of Cobra. Erik grinned enjoying the competition. He let loose and ran full tilt towards their encampment, hoping to beat the great Titania.  
Erza somehow managed to beat him, but he was so caught up in the competition that he didn't realize he was running out of space to stop. With a tumble, and flailing body parts he ran straight into Kinana, causing himself, Jaydince, and Kinana to tumble to the ground. He clumsily landed on top of her, causing their lips to accidently brush for the slightest of moments. It had just been the briefest of contact, and she likely didn't even realize what had happened in the middle of the commotion, but it had been more than enough to tell him everything he needed to know. He knew he wasn't ready for a mate yet; but when he was, he knew who he would be picking.

Dinner was passed around next to the large pot of food Mira, and Kinana had made together. With a deep dark blush, Kinana explained to Levy that Warrdon, Porlyusica, and Wendy had created a cure for the infection. After resuming his position, Master had sent her to treat any who may have been infected during their journey. After that Mira and her team had questioned what happened to Lucy, and Gajeel tactfully explained that she and Natsu would be back by morning. Mira's interest was more than a little peaked, but there were more juicy couples to focus on then the Celestial mage and dragon slayer; they were yesterday's news, and today she focused on the younger twin slayers.  
She had nagged at them for hours, trying to get them to explain their current relationship status; but all either would say, was that their experience with the necromancer had changed their views on the curse and that they would know more themselves when they were older.  
A few hours around the campfire passed, and the group headed for their bunks. The base wasn't nearly as cozy as their Guild Hall, but no one wanted to travel without a goods nights sleep.  
Morning came and with it, Natsu and Luce arrived. The two were fully rested and seemed to be more at home with each other than they had ever been before.  
The group packed up their tents, and camp supplies and together they all headed back to Oak Town to catch the train home.  
As they traveled they finally had time to talk to Jaydince who explained all of Shayda's story. He asked to be left with the Major of Oaktown who could help him find his way home to his Kingdom. He planned on beginning the legal process so that he could reclaim his country as soon as possible.  
Later in the afternoon when they boarded the train it was a very different experience than anyone had expected. Each couple sat quietly in their own booths, and for the first time ever, not one of the dragon slayer on board suffered from any motion sickness.  
The end

  
Author's note: I've gotten hardly any feedback on this piece. PLEASE let me know if you like it! ^.^ Or it you want more? Or if you have positive criticism.


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